It is common knowledge that water is essential for living. Whether it is the summer season or cold season, a person cannot go a day without drinking an appropriate amount of water needed for fundamental processes in the body.
Bottled water has become considerably popular in the United States and rest of the world in the recent years. Getting a water bottle is convenient since the bottle can be tossed in the trash and recycled later after usage.
It is available at any place from tourist spots to workplace canteen. Bottled water is also bought a lot by college students as well as young adults with busy work schedules since it can be carried anywhere, takes less space in the bag, and is easily found even if it is pretty expensive.
However, recent studies on water bottles have suggested that the risks of it outweigh the convenience benefits by a great extent. A German-led research has, in fact, showed that a bottle of water contains around 25,000 different chemicals.
To be clear, the bottles being discussed here are not the reusable plastic water bottles but the PET bottles that most of the people dispose of after drinking the water. Not only is this bottled water pricey but unsustainable and unhealthy.
Statistically a majority of the people who drink bottled water, which is around 31 gallons per person, in the United States only do it out of ease and not out of need. Merely thirty percent of the used bottles are recycled.
What makes bottled water unhealthy?
It is a common belief that bottled water is safer and comparatively pure than the typical tap water. This is a misconception. According to researchers at Natural Resource Defense Council, there is no reason to think bottled water will be any less risky than the tap water.
Know more about the perception of water quality here.
There are many chemicals in bottled water that are usually linked to different health conditions such as hormonal disruptions, endocrine problems, and an increased risk of development of various cancerous tumors.
Majority of the PET bottles developed in the US and rest of the world are made of polyethylene terephthalate which is comparatively safe to use and can be recycled but there have also been studies that have shown negative effects of PET bottles.
There is recent evidence that suggests that PET can leach antimony trioxide. With the passage of time, more and more chemicals are said to be released into the water in those bottles. Some factors such as warm temperature can also fasten the process.
This is why people are told to use the bottles as soon as possible and not leave them in hot weather or in cars. An exposure to antimony trioxide can cause skin irritation, irregular periods, respiratory issues, and even miscarriages.
Antimony is also a well-known carcinogen recognized by the International Agency for Cancer Research which is a part of the World Health Organization. A bottle of water can contain around 10-90 percent antimony after a period of six months in normal temperature.
In addition, other chemicals such as phthalate endocrine disruptors, estrogen mimickers, and many others are also leached from the bottles into the water. This is the most concerning thing about water stored in PET bottles.
The latest study conducted by German researchers found that 25,000 different chemicals are present in the bottled water while testing for the effects of the water on androgen and estrogen receptors in the bodies of people who drank it.
What did the researchers find?
The research showed that most brands of bottled water results in hormonal disruption in the body. Furthermore, the process started happening only after a short period of time and did not even require a lot of chemicals.
Only one-tenth of an ounce affected the androgenic activity by 90 percent and the estrogenic activity by 60 percent. This type of hormonal activity is also commonly associated with numerous cancers such as prostate cancer.
In addition, the researchers also looked at the effects of drinking tap water for comparison and found that tap water at least did not trigger any such hormonal activities in the body.
How else can bottled water be damaging?
In accordance with the latest statistics, nearly three million bottles of water are bought and used within an hour in the United States. Only thirty percent of these are actually recycled while the rest of them end up in the oceans.
Here’s a thing every person should know – nearly all of the plastic bottles made and dumped exist today as well. There are more than five trillion pieces of plastic in the ocean and according to the latest prediction, there will be more plastic pieces in the ocean than fish (by weight) after 2050.
Many of these pieces are also consumed by the marine life and birds who feed on fish. A survey conducted by the US Fish and Wildlife Service showed that plastic pieces and bottle caps were found inside many of the dead birds appearing at shores.
In addition to the destruction of species of marine life birds, the creation of plastic bottles also has a negative impact on the environment and consumes a lot of energy and money. Bottling water also produces more than 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide.
What can be done?
The best solution that is also cheaper than expensive bottled water is installing and using a filter while performing tap water tests. They are convenient and can provide much safer water while also being environmental friendly.
For the problem of carrying water, trying buying reusable water bottle and refill it when needed. Do not buy the plastic reusable water bottles as they are not safe either and have been linked to BPA exposure. Instead go for stainless steel bottles that have no such effects.
RELATED: Are BPA-free Products Safe?
These bottles are healthy and will not contaminate the water as long as them you wash them properly. Telling family and friends to switch to such bottles and gifting bottles during the holiday season is not a bad idea either.
Try asking the for installation of refilling stations at places like office and gym instead of selling bottled water for both health and environmental concerns.