A new study by scientists from the University of Florida has warned against drinking water from a bottle if it had been left somewhere warm for a long time.

According to the study, since plastic water bottles are made from polyethylene terephthalate, when heated, the material releases the chemicals antimony and bisphenol A, commonly called BPA.

Antimony is considered a carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organization.

While the US Food and Drug Administration has said BPA is not a major concern at low levels found in beverage containers, it continues to study the chemical's impacts.

However some health officials claim that the chemical can cause negative effects on children's health.

UF soil and water science professor Lena Ma led a research team that studied chemicals released in 16 brands of bottled water kept at 158 degrees Fahrenheit for four weeks, what researchers deemed a "worst-case scenario" for human consumption.

Of the 16 brands, only one exceeded the EPA standard for antimony and BPA. Based on the study, storage at warm temperatures would seem to not be a big problem, Ma said. However, more research was needed to know if other brands were safe.

Ma's study found that as bottles warmed over the four-week period, antimony and BPA levels increased.

Drinking that water occasionally won't be dangerous, but doing so regularly could cause health issues, she said. And it wasn't just water containers, as more attention should be given to other packaged drinks such as milk, coffee and acidic juice, Ma said.

The study is published in the September's edition of the journal Environmental Pollution.