Plastic Bottles and Water Safety Issues for Adults

Whether they are heading out on a trip or to office or school, many people prefer to take along drinking water. Water packaged in plastic bottles is light and easy to carry, but there are hidden dangers in this simple practice. It is important to understand the implications of chemical and bacterial contaminants in the water in plastic water bottles so as to adopt safe practices.

Safety of Bottled Water

• Companies marketing bottled water focus their advertising on projecting bottled water as being safer than tap water. This, however, may not always be true because as per an estimate by the Natural Resources Defense Council, 25 percent of bottled water is actually tap water packaged in a bottle with or without subsequent treatment. In such cases, the bottled water may contain chemical and bacterial contaminants that are above the prescribed limits specified by state authorities. When consumed over prolonged durations, these contaminants can lead to health issues.

Dangers of Plastic in Water Bottles

• The plastic used to make water bottles contains chemicals called phthalates and bisphenol-A, better known as BPA. These compounds tend to leach into the water within the bottle over a period of time. Although regulations prescribe limits for phthalates in tap water, there are no similar specifications for bottled water. Phthalates and BPA have been known to cause disturbances in levels of hormones, such as testosterone, and lead to health complications, such as reducing sperm count and affecting breast tissue development.

Dangers of Bacterial Contamination

• A more immediate and major danger that plastic bottles pose is that of bacterial contamination. When you reuse a plastic water bottle, you may be doing your part to save the environment, but end up passing on an infection to your family members. Plastic containers when not washed sufficiently often invite bacterial build up that leads to infections. Children, with their low resistance, are typically at greater risk. It is, therefore, important to wash plastic water bottles frequently with warm, not hot, water, wipe the container mouth and lids clean, and allow the bottle to dry completely before re-using it.

What Can You Do?

• As per existing legislation, it is not mandatory for bottlers to divulge information about the contents of their water. As a concerned citizen, you have a right to write to local and federal authorities, asking for specified limits on phthalates in bottled water and stricter guidelines on bottled water labeling and public disclosure of information. Ask for legislation that requires packaged water manufacturers to display information regarding the source of water, its purification treatment and conformation with official health standards.