Saturday, November 8, 2008

Bottled Water Controversy

I recently received an e-mail from a friend warning about the dangers of plastic water bottles. Citing Sheryl Crow and Johns Hopkins, it claimed that when bottled water is left out in the sun (in your car, for example), chemicals from the plastic in the bottles can leach into the water and then into your body when you drink it, possibly leading to breast cancer.

I did a little research and found out that not only was Johns Hopkins not behind this study, but that Sheryl Crow never actually attributed bottled water to breast cancer. Also, according to Rolf Haden, PhD, PE, with Johns Hopkins, “there are no dioxins in plastics.” Dioxins are “highly carcinogenic” toxins (Wikipedia), formed during combustion processes that have been linked to cancer.

So, the good news is that the only thing you shouldn't leave in your car on a hot day is a rental DVD. However, there are some other good reasons not to drink bottled water.
  1. It’s ridiculously expensive when compared to a filtration system or tap water.
  2. Most of it isn’t much better for you than tap water.
  3. It creates more waste.
  4. It reduces demand for state governments to improve tap water supply.
  5. Corporations are usurping groundwater and distribution rights.
If you want to play it safe, forgo plastic altogether: buy a stainless steel thermos ($25) and a Brita pitcher ($40, but cheaper on Amazon.com). If you do find yourself high and dry, however, here are some good sites to help determine which bottled water to choose.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I thought it was the saddest thing in the world that you don't have any comments yet on this blog. Though I must admit I was a tad surprised to find myself on the email list LOL. However, the presence of toxins (related to the interior coating) in plastic containers in general is a documented fact. As for how it impacts our health, that remains to be seen. It's always a good rule of thumb--the fewer containers and processes our food and water has been put through before consumption, the better they are for us.

Remember when water just used to come out of the tap?

Scandalous.--You know Le Wheu

Emily Avent said...

Dr. Greg Cooper (www.reasonableradical.com) made me aware of this: With regard to the bottled water controversy, it may not be dioxins that break down but the presence of BPA (bisphenol A) and another substance called pthalates that are still causing concern. These are substances (plastics) used to make things smooth and stain resistant. The concern is that they are “endocrine disrupters” and cause our delicately balanced hormonal system to be affected. They are used to make the white lining of canned vegetable cans, in cosmetics (especially lipstick), baby bottles (of marked concern considering the bottles are usually heated before feedings), and even in our medicines (did you ever wonder why some medicines can be taken and will not break down quickly but are sold based on the advantage of “time-released”?). A good book on the subject is Toxic Overload by Paula Baillie-Hamilton.

Hank A said...

As for water bottles, don't forget the
SIGG aluminum ones.

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As a food therapist and certified holistic practitioner, I help people develop a healthy relationship with food.