Article content
Because we are aware of the importance of staying hydrated in our lives, many of us put a glass of water on the bedside table in the evening in case we get thirsty during the night.
So all of us who have done this once or do it regularly know the strange taste of the water in the glass when we drink it in the morning after waking up.
Why not drink old water?
Drinking water, unlike food, does not contain sugars or proteins in which microbes thrive. Therefore it is clear that microbes cannot be responsible for the strange taste of the morning water in the glass. On the contrary, dust particles or airborne bacteria can very easily get into the water in the glass.
Water exposed to air also absorbs carbon dioxide, a small part of which converts into carbonic acid. In other words, water exposed to air changes its chemical composition. When one or two protons are released, carbonic acid is converted into carbonates or bicarbonates, which in turn changes the pH of the water in the glass. These changes affect the taste properties of the water.
Although this of course does not mean that water that stood in a glass on your nightstand all night long will be harmful in the morning, it is certainly worth considering that in the morning the water contains dust particles and airborne bacteria. So the next time you wake up in the morning and want to drink, jump out of bed, run to the kitchen and pour yourself a glass of fresh water instead.
