Just recently PepsiCo and Coca Cola, (who bottle Aquafina and Dasani respectfully), admitted that the water in their bottles is sourced from municipal water supplies. The source and quality of bottled and tap water in many cases is the same, with no additional health benefits. However, for the purpose of this discussion, we will not dwell on whether you want to spend more money on water in a bottle or directly from the tap; but focus our attention on whether or not the water is contaminant free!
By Natasha Ruckel
© Green Log Home 2008
What about the plastic bottles?
Before we go any further, lets clarify; we can’t solely point the finger at the water providers, as many other drinks come packaged in plastic bottles. Let’s focus on the nature of plastic bottles in general.
While reusing plastic bottles designed for ‘one-time-use’ is a nice idea, it can be damaging. Many people (myself included) reuse plastic bottles time and time again, to save plastic waste from going to landfills and threatening well, streams, and wetlands.
Plastic bottles are made from several components, two groups of chemicals which are known to cause health issues, namely DEHP (part of the phthalates group) and Bisphenol A (BPA). Both have been shown to cause disruption to the human endocrine system.
One-time-use bottles are designed to degrade, although it can take up to 1,000 years for a plastic bottle to biodegrade in a landfill. It stands to reason therefore, that the plastic will eventually breakdown into its chemical constituents. Plastic bottles are supposed to be safe for one-time-use, although it is not recommended that they be re-used. It has been suggested that bottles can be difficult to clean thoroughly, and could be a possible breeding ground for bacteria.
BPA is used to line food cans and used to make plastics shatterproof. Research supported by the NIEHS at the University of Cincinnati and the University of Illinois discovered that animals exposed to low doses of the environmental estrogen Bisphenol A, during fetal development were more likely to develop a precursor of prostate cancer. Other studies have indicated that BPA can leach from plastics when exposed to high temperatures, such as those found in dishwashers or microwave ovens.
The plasticizer DEHP is one of the most widely used phthalates. *A recent study of adult men shows a link between higher levels of MEHP (the metabolite) in urine and reduced thyroid hormone in blood serum. *‘Environmental Health Perspectives’ Vol 113, Number 3, March 2008 published by the National Institute of Environmental Sciences.
Without delving further into science, the trend is clear, re-use of plastic bottles can cause leeching of substances that have been shown to cause disruption to the endocrine system, ultimately disturbing the fine balance of hormones in the body.
Plastic water bottles present environmental problems too, notably the space they take up in landfills and the huge length of time they take to breakdown. Only 80% of plastic bottles are recycled making them a huge burden on our environment. Bottles are washing up all over the world, even in remote locations such as the Medway Islands in the North Pacific Ocean, various plastics, including bottles wash up on their beaches, posing a severe threat to the local wildlife.
The question then is: which type of bottle is really safe? Glass bottles do not leach any substances. They are easily reusable, can be thoroughly washed and recycled.
I would also steer away from aluminum. Aluminum has shown to cause Alzheimer’s disease, decreased liver and kidney functions to name but a few problems. Aluminum collects in the body from a range of different sources such as cooking pots, pans, utensils, foil and other items such as over the counter pain killers, anti-inflammatory products, baking powders, antiperspirants, etc. (there is a very long list)!
We will look more into aluminum in future posts.