Bottled Water A Human Health and Environmental Perspective

Bottled Water A Human Health and Environmental Perspective Nick Chambers-Maher

A Few Facts About Bottled Water § Bottled water is the fastest growing drink choice in the United States § Americans spent around 15 billion dollars on bottled water last year § A bottle of water costs up to 1, 000 times as an equivalent amount of tap water § Americans consumed over 8 billion gallons of bottled water in 2006

Bottled Water Usage

Some Reasons People Buy Bottled Water § Belief that it is safer than tap water § Convenience § Access to a new clean bottle § Taste Preference

Safety of Bottled Water § Bottled water is commonly believed to be safer than tap water § Bottled water quality is regulated by the FDA while tap water is regulated by the EPA § Bottled water commonly contains many contaminants not found in tap water at levels that violate state and federal guidelines § Studies show that 1 out of 3 bottled waters contain harmful contaminants at levels that violate state and federal public water guidelines

Key Differences in Regulation of Tap vs. Bottled Water Requirements Disinfection req. Bottled Water Tap Water No No Yes Must test/meet standards for asbestos & Phthalate No Yes Frequency of testing for bacteria 1 x/week Hundreds/month No Yes 1 x/year 1 x/quarter E. Coli, Cryptosporidium, and Giardia Testing Req. Operator must be trained/certified Testing freq. for most synthetic organic chemicals

A key fact § It has been established that at least 25% of bottled waters in the US, including Aquafina and Dasani, are bottled directly from public water sources § Bowing to pressure from consumer advocate agencies all Aquafina bottles now state “bottled from a public source”

Other Contaminants § Nearly all bottled water products are contained in soft plastics § Many of these plastics contain known endocrine disruptors such as Bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalate § Differences in taste between bottled and tap water have been associated with the plastics used in bottles

A quote from the FDA “Companies that market bottled water as being safer than tap water are defrauding the American public. ” - FDA

Environmental Concerns § Bottled water production poses numerous environmental threats including: – Greenhouse gas production – Significant waste production – Harmful air pollutant production

Environmental Concerns § The production of water bottles burns over 1. 5 million gallons of oil per year – Enough to run 100, 000 cars for 1 year § Transportation of bottled water burns over 500, 000 gallons of oil per year – Enough to power 80, 000 homes for 1 year § 2. 5 million tons of CO 2 were generated in 2006 in the production of water bottles

A wasteful industry § Manufacturing a bottle of water uses three times as much water as the bottle will eventually contain § Less than 15% of water bottles are recycled § Plastic bottles take around 700 years before they begin to decompose in a landfill

A quote from the NRDC § “A major shift to bottled water could undermine funding for tap water protection, raising serious equity issues for the poor. Manufacture and shipping of billions of bottles causes unnecessary energy and petroleum consumption, leads to landfilling or incineration of bottles, and can release environmental toxins. The long-term solution to our water woes is to fix our tap water so it is safe for everyone. ”

Some good news § Yesterday Toronto joined a select few cities to ban the sale of bottled water from public places § Other cities include San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver

What can you do? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Stop buying bottled water! Get a reusable, BPA free water container Advocate for more stringent testing requirements for bottled water Divert funds spent on bottled water to protecting our tap water Call for a nationwide boycott of bottled water

Take Home Messages § Bottled water: – Is not safer than tap water – Causes massive amounts of waste generation – Can have a serious negative impact on human health – Use contributes to climate change and general air pollution – Is economically unsound

Questions? Comments?

References § Fishman, C. (2007). "Message in a Bottle. " Fast Company(117). § Karlstrom, S. (2007). "Tapped Out: The True Cost of Bottled Water. " The Green Guide(121). § Olson, E. D. (1999). Bottled Water: Pure Drink or Pure Hype? M. Wolfe. Los Angeles, Natural Resources Defense Council. § Owen, J. (2006). "Bottled Water Isn't Healthier Than Tap, Report Reveals. " National Geographic.