Why Bottled Water May Be More Dangerous Than Tap Water

You've probably seen advertisements for bottled water that tell you how clean and healthy it is. But is it really so? Recently, scientists have found more and more evidence that bottled water should be treated with caution. It does not guarantee the absence of harmful chemicals or even bacteria. And some studies indicate that such water may be even more dangerous to health than regular tap water.

Why bottled water can be more dangerous than tap water. Bottled water can be more harmful to health than bottled water. Photo source: med-practic.com. Photo.

Bottled water may be more harmful to health than bottled water. Photo source: med-practic.com

Contents

  • 1 Bottled water contains toxic substances
  • 2 How to purify water from “eternal chemicals”
  • 3 Bottled water may be more dangerous than tap water?
  • 4 Bottled water contains a lot of bacteria

Bottled water contains toxic substances

As a result of a recent study, scientists have found toxic substances in drinking water samples around the world. In particular, they found dangerous substances in more than 99% of bottled water samples taken in 15 countries from different parts of the world. In total, the authors studied 112 samples of bottled water from supermarkets, of which 89 samples were still.

We are talking about the content of so-called “forever chemicals” (PFAS) in water. We have already reported that they began to be actively produced in the 40s of the last century. The effect of these substances on the body has not been fully studied. However, it is known that they cause some types of cancer, affect the thyroid gland, cause cardiovascular diseases, dementia and other health problems.

Bottled water contains toxic substances. Water in plastic bottles contains toxic substances that cause cancer. Photo source: womanhit.ru. Photo.

Water in plastic bottles contains toxic substances that cause cancer. Photo source: womanhit.ru

As reported by an international group of scientists in the publication ACS ES&T Water, PFAS are present in various drinking waters, including natural mineral water. Moreover, the latter contains even more “eternal chemicals” than purified water. These substances are also present in tap water, although their concentration varies in different countries. For example, in China, tap water contains much more toxic substances than in Britain.

How to purify water from “eternal chemicals”

So, PFAS are present in almost all drinking water, especially mineral water. However, there is good news – the study showed that you can purify water yourself. To do this, just boil it or pass it through a carbon filter. For example, a “jug” type filter is enough for this.

How to purify water from “eternal chemicals”. A pitcher filter allows you to partially purify water from PFAS. Photo source: edimdoma.ru. Photo.

A pitcher filter can partially purify water from PFAS. Photo source: edimdoma.ru

Even greater efficiency can be achieved by using two purification methods at once, i.e. filtration and boiling. In this case, up to 90% of chemicals will be removed from the water. But does it make sense in this case to buy bottled water if it needs to be purified in the same way as tap water? But bottled water is usually bought precisely so that it can be drunk immediately without any additional processing or purification.

Can bottled water be more dangerous than tap water?

Another recent study has shown that PFAS are not the only threat to the body that comes from bottled water. According to Qatari scientists, such water contains large amounts of microplastics, that is, tiny particles of plastic that penetrate into various parts of the body, including even the brain.

Scientists have now found that microplastics can cause some types of cancer, heart disease, and a number of other serious health problems. As the authors of the study report in the journal BMJ Global Health, microplastics are estimated to be found in high doses in 78% of all bottled water worldwide.

Can bottled water be more dangerous than tap water? Water in plastic bottles has a limited shelf life. Photo source: kapital.kz. Photo.

Water in plastic bottles has a limited shelf life. Photo source: kapital.kz

In addition, the authors of the study found other harmful substances, such as phthalates and bisphenol A. These substances are used to make plastics stronger. They negatively affect the hormonal balance in the body, and also provoke infertility, asthma and even some types of cancer.

As you might guess, microplastics and other chemicals get into the water from the packaging – a plastic bottle. For example, this happens when opening and closing the lid, under the influence of heat, and also simply over time. By the way, for this reason, bottled water has a certain shelf life.

This is not to say that tap water is free of microplastics, but it is much less than bottled water. It also does not contain the other chemicals mentioned above. Therefore, the researchers concluded that it is better to drink tap water than water sold in plastic bottles.

Bottled water may be more dangerous than tap water? Bottled water contains more bacteria than tap water. Source: vlt.kz. Photo.

Bottled water contains more bacteria than tap water. Source: vlt.kz

Bottled water contains a lot of bacteria

The most unpleasant thing is that bottled water contains a lot of bacteria. Canadian scientists discovered back in 2010 that the level of microorganisms in bottled water is 100 times higher than the norm. According to microbiologists, tap water is much cleaner. Qatari scientists came to a similar conclusion in the study mentioned above. Moreover, they even found bacteria in the water.

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Therefore, according to experts, there is no need to buy bottled water, except for those cases when you want to drink on the street. If you drink it once, of course, no health problems will arise. But if you drink bottled water constantly, harmful substances will begin to accumulate in the body, which can lead to unpredictable consequences.


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