Experts say there are compelling reasons to discard plastic water bottles. There may be harmful chemicals in bottled water. Phthalates increase the durability and flexibility of plastics. In bottled water, phthalates are not present in significant amounts. Exposure to such chemicals should be limited.
A small amount of plastic can cause contamination of water when it is in direct contact with water. Contact between plastic and drink exacerbates this. It is possible to contaminate bottled water with plastic over time, even though it does not contain phthalates.
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Emily Barrett, biostatistics and epidemiology associate professor at Rutgers, states phthalates may also leach out of food and drink when heated. Bottled water contains metals, bacteria, and plastic pieces. Research shows bottled water has traces of pharmaceuticals, microplastics, bacteria, and heavy metals.
According to the CDC, Cryptosporidium on bottled water labels indicates contamination. According to Consumer Reports, some bottled water tested in 2020 contained arsenic and microplastics in 93%. Bottled water may lack minerals.
Compared to U.S. spring water bottled water brands, tap water contains significantly more calcium, magnesium, and sodium, and two liters of tap water can provide 18% of one’s daily calcium needs. It’s also bad for the environment to use plastic bottles.
In addition to the fact that water bottles have a massive carbon footprint, there’s also a massive water footprint.
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What Can We Do?
The EPA and FDA may set differnet quality/standards for bottled and drinking water. People believe bottled water is purer than tap water, yet bottled water companies use municipal water. Bottled water is a health hazard, and experts said it’s hard to measure its impact.
Barrett says reverse osmosis does not make bottled water purer than tap water. She recommends drinking and not storing bottled water for years. If you can, invest in reusable or glass water bottles.