Are You Drinking Water from a Plastic Bottle?

Are You Drinking Water from a Plastic Bottle?

Do You Know the Risks?
Ronald Grisanti D.C., D.A.B.C.O., M.S.

A wealth of medical research has revealed that a chemical used to make hard, clear plastics called bisphenol A (BPA), such as those found in baby bottles, food-storage containers and the lining of soda cans, has reached epidemic proportions in America.

Each year, over 6 billion tons of BPA are used to make plastics. The problem occurs when the plastic is heated causing the chemical bonds that BPA forms to unravel contaminating the water or food it is held in.
In addition, washing or exposing plastic to acidic foods can cause the

BPA to leach out into the food.

Plastic Industry in State of Denial

And while the plastic industry fails to see the need for alarm regarding the health impact of this chemical, researchers with no ties to the industry beg to differ.

Research Findings

Scientist studying BPA have found that BPA imitates the sex hormone estradiol (estrogen). It is well accepted that even small amounts of estrogen can induce profound changes in the body. This has raised a red flag and caused concern amoung the scientific community that even the lowest levels of BPA could have a negative impact on one's health.
There is growing evidence (among mice and rats) that low doses of BPA can cause:

Hyperactivity
Early puberty
Increased fat formation
Abnormal behavior
Disrupted reproductive cycles
Structural damage to the brain

Types of Water 
There are six types of water that is bottled.  Each type has specific criteria it must meet in order to be labelled that type of water.
a)  Spring Water is water that comes from an underground source and that flows to the surface naturally (not pumped to the surface).  It must have less than 500 parts per million TDS (total dissolved solids) 
b)  Mineral Water is the same as spring water except that is has more than 500 ppm of TDS.   
c)  Well Water is water that is same as spring water but is pumped to the surface. 
d)  Artesian Well Water rises to the surface under its own pressure from a confined aquifer. 
e)  Purified Water can come from an underground source or it can come from municipally treated water.  It is also called distilled water, deionized water and reverse osmosis water. 
f)  Carbonated Water is water that contains carbonation either naturally or from adding carbonation.  It can come from a spring, well or community water supply. 

Bottled v. Tap 

The reason people drink bottled water is because they believe bottled water is healthier than tap water.  Most often this idea is false.

Alternatives to Bottled Water 

There are many ways that the individual person can make a difference in terms of bottled water.  Here are some ideas that you can consider.

#1. By a reusable water bottle.  The reusable bottles will cut down on the amount of plastic bottles going to the landfill and/or ocean every year.   


#2. Drink tap water.  Most cities have safe tap water so buy a reusable water bottle and keep filling it with tap water. 


#3. If you do buy a plastic water bottle, reuse it or recycle it.  Last year the California Department of Conservation estimated that nine out of ten bottles are not recycled and that there were one billion bottles ending up in the garbage.  Those bottles could have been recycled into 74 million square feet of carpet or 16 million fleece sweaters! 


#4. If you drink bottled water for health reasons, consider installing a reverse osmosis water filter in your home instead.  The money you spend in buying the filter will be worth the money you save every day by not buying bottled water. 


#5. If you are concerned about the tap water in your community, get together with the other residents and work with the city to improve how the water is treated. 


#6. Petition the federal government to increase funding for safe drinking water across the country and especially in rural and First Nations communities. 


#7. Work with water organizations to promotes the importance of safe drinking water and the need to protect your community’s water source as a way of ensuring high quality drinking water for future generations.