4. Conclusions
Antimony can be released (i.e., leached) from the PET plastic
used to make commercial and municipal water bottles. While
the rate of leaching is low below storage temperatures of
60 1C, above this temperature antimony release can occur
rapidly. From personal experience, in the southwestern US
the temperatures inside automobiles and garages, where
bottled water is often stored, can exceed 60 1C. Bottled water
manufacturers should consider the shipping/storage conditions
of the bottled waters, and possibly select plastics that do
not leach antimony (e.g., PET made with titanium or
germanium rather than antimony-based catalysts (Shotyk
and Rachler, 2007; Thiele, 2004)). Future tests should determine
if relationships exist between the quality of water in the
bottles (e.g., conductivity, major ion composition) and antimony
leaching rates. Antimony leaching should be of concern
to private manufacturers, wholesalers, and retail stores, as
well as to public water utilities that often bottle water for
public events, disasters, or even resale. Because antimony
causes both acute and chronic health issues, conditions, such
as types of plastic or storage temperature, that promote
deterioration of water quality (i.e., increasing antimony
concentrations over time) should be avoided.