last post we talked about the potential hazards of BPA, the chemical used in the
manufacture of plastic bottles. Well, now we’re going to talk about
the potential hazards of the water in the plastic bottles! According to
a study conducted by nonprofit organization
Environmental Working Group (EWG), some 10 major brands of bottled water are guilty of containing
a variety of contaminants, including fertilizer, bacteria, industrial
chemicals, and other potentially hazardous materials.
Tap water is tested on an annual basis, and the results are made public.
This is not the case with bottled water. Any testing conducted by the
bottled water industry is kept private. The industry insists its bottled
water is as safe as tap water, and its advertising paints an even purer
picture. However, the EWG’s test results refute the bottled water
industry’s image and claims. Results found that 10 brands of bottled
water widely available in supermarkets had 38 chemical contaminants, about
8 contaminants per brand. These popular bottled water brands thus were
no more pure than tap water, and some, such as Wal-Mart’s Wam’s
Choice brand, even exceeded the legal limits for bottled water contaminants
in California (California’s standards for water purity are stricter
than federal standards).
In sum, you don’t know what you are getting when you drink bottled
water. In many cases, you are paying for water you can drink for much
cheaper by drinking your tap water.
For additional information, see
this article on the EWG’s web site.