Do You Know the Dangers Of Drinking Water From Plastic Water Bottles?
As we continue to advocate for the reduction of plastic use, the issue of bottled water remains a significant problem to not only the well-being of our environment, but the quality of our health as well. That’s right – OUR health
In the U.K. alone, we buy an estimated 7.7 billion water bottles a year from a growing industry projected to reach £334 billion by 2023. Many consumers purchasing bottled water are presented with the facade of a high quality, health product. In reality, countless companies are simply filtering municipal water and bottling it!  Why You Should Never Drink Bottled Water Again – EcoWatch Next time you reach for the bottle of “pure” water or nip to the communal filter water source in your gym or office think twice, as popular brands may be selling you water contaminated with microplastics and toxic chemicals from their plastic packaging.
Plastic is everywhere. Most of us correlate plastic contamination to the destruction of our environment. According to Statista only 44.2% of plastic in the U.K was actually recycled last year Plastic waste in the UK – statistics & facts | Statista but the problem continues to expand into the realm of human health. Recent studies show bottled water containing excessive levels of microplastics. Study Finds Microplastics In 93% Of Bottled Water [Infographic] (forbes.com) – small pieces of plastic debris less than five millimeters in size. According to research conducted by Orb Media, Microplastics found in 93% of bottled water tested in global study | CBC News, all showed traces of microplastics. The study included companies such as Aquafina and Evian, with Nestle Pure Life having one of the highest levels of contamination. Their research also showed bottled water contained about 50% more microplastics than tap water.
Most bottled water is sold in plastic #1, also known as polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Research shows that PET may be an endocrine disruptor, altering our hormonal systems. Although this type of plastic is BPA free, phthalates in bottles can still seep into your water, especially when exposed to high temperatures, stored for an extended period of time, or travelled long distances due to temperature fluctuation. Some companies, such as Poland Spring, use plastic #7 for their 3-gallon water bottles. News Center | SGS This type of plastic contains BPA, which has been banned in countries around the world including the European Union and China, due to its toxicity. BPA exposure is linked to multiple health effects including fertility issues, altered brain development, cancer, and heart complications including high blood pressure.
It’s not mandatory for bottles water corporations to conduct lab tests or inform consumers where their water originates. Fewer Regulations for Bottled Water Than Tap, GAO Says – NYTimes.com. That’s right, bottled water companies are NOT required to undertake any tests at all on their bottled water and nor do they have to inform us where they are getting their supply from. The reality is we could be drinking water from the tap but in a bottle form. The difference between the two in contrast is tap water suppliers must undergo testing to show contaminant levels, offer quality reports to consumers, meet EPA standards, and disclose their water sources. This means bottled water is NOT the safest option by far, contrary to our beliefs. Additionally, bottled water can be on average 1,000 times more expensive than tap water. So why are we still purchasing bottled water that pollutes our environment and impairs our health? As the obsession with bottled water brainwashes society, I felt compelled to ask people why they felt the need to make this purchase. Countless conversations later with many different groups of individuals from office workers to the high performing fitness groups such as the aspiring athlete and fitness enthusiasts I noticed a recurring theme: a desire to have safe and healthy drinking, water. Yet our understanding and education of what is actually the safest method for drinking water and the dangers to our health by choosing the wrong method is clearly lacking. I personally have been guilty of walking across the office to fill up my water bottle thinking the decision would have a positive effect on my health when in many cases the tap in the communal kitchen may have offered more health benefits despite the known and well documented contaminants in our tap water supply.
Improving the quality of our municipal water is critical in order to switch to a safe and more sustainable alternative. However here in the UK there are questions over our municipal water filtering processes (which has been abandoned by Germany as not fit for purpose) and the current metals and trace pharmaceuticals that can be found in many supposedly clean glasses of water which worryingly can include Lead, and to bring you full circle, microplastics! It seems that as consumers we are stuck between a rock and a hard place when it comes to our choice of clean healthy water
If you’re not sure if your tap water is safe, check your local water authority, which outlines the contaminant levels of your tap water. We also urge you to reach out to your local water supplier to find out where your water comes from because despite our understanding of clean tap water The Truth About What’s Really in the UK’s Water Supply | Aqua Cure the reality is very different. The only way to truly drink the cleanest water, take all the advantages that clean water offers the human body, such as brain performance, physical performance and general health is to have it filtered yourself, giving you the peace of mind that what you are actually drinking is safe.