So little benefit, so many problems
By BMJ Group
The huge and growing toll bottled water is taking on human
and planetary health warrants an urgent rethink of its use as 1 million bottles
are bought every minute around the globe, with that figure set to rise further
still amid escalating demand, warn population health experts in a commentary
published in the open access journal
BMJ Global Health.
Some 2 billion people around the world with limited or no
access to safe drinking water rely on bottled water. But for the rest of us,
it’s largely a matter of convenience and the unshaken belief—aided and abetted
by industry marketing—that bottled water is safer and often healthier than tap
water.
Health Risks From Bottled Water
It isn’t, insist the authors from Weill Cornell Medicine in
Qatar.
That’s because bottled water often isn’t subject to the same
rigorous quality and safety standards as tap water, and it can carry the risk
of harmful chemicals leaching from the plastic bottles used for it, especially
if it’s stored for a long time, and/or exposed to sunlight and high
temperatures, they explain.
Between an estimated 10% and 78% of bottled water samples
contain contaminants, including microplastics, often classified as hormone
(endocrine) disruptors, and various other substances including phthalates (used
to make plastics more durable) and bisphenol A (BPA).
Microplastic contamination is associated with oxidative
stress, immune system dysregulation, and changes in blood fat levels. And BPA
exposure has been linked to later-life health issues, such as high blood
pressure, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity, they add.
“While there are short-term safety thresholds, the long-term
effects of these contaminants remain largely unknown,” observes the author,
adding that microplastics can also enter the food chain.
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