Bottled water companies like to spread the message that bottled water is a safer alternative to municipal tap water. But is that really the case? According to recent studies, there are thousands of chemicals that are found in bottled water, and many of them can lead to serious health effects. Today we’re going to talk about how chemicals get into bottled water, the effects they can have on our bodies and why filtered tap water is a safer alternative!
How do chemicals get into bottled water?
One of the dirty little secrets about many brands of bottled water is that their water is simply a bottled version of tap water. Because there are a number of chemicals that are present in municipal tap water, those same chemicals will often also show up in bottled water that uses tap water as its source.
Another source of chemicals in bottled water is the bottles themselves. Manufacturing plastic bottles creates a number of chemical byproducts that can leech into bottled water, and the plastic bottles themselves contain unsafe chemicals that contaminate the water that’s stored in those bottles.
What kinds of chemicals are present in bottled water?
In a study performed in 2013, German researchers found more than 24,500 chemicals in 18 commercially-available brands of bottled water. Many of these chemicals are used to manufacture plastic bottles, and they have shown to interfere with estrogen and androgen hormone receptors.
Pregnant women and small children are at the highest risk of experiencing health effects from the chemicals that were found in the bottled water that was tested. Symptoms include developmental problems in young children and fertility issues and early menopause in women.
But women and children aren’t the only people who should be concerned about chemicals in bottled water. Recent research has linked consumption of the chemicals found in bottled water with increased risks of heart disease, diabetes and cancer.
In another study performed in 2008, researchers found traces of fertilizers, Tylenol, pharmaceuticals, THM’s and industrial chemicals in 10 popular brands of bottled water sold in the US. Many of these chemicals are also found in unfiltered tap water, which is further proof that many brands of bottled water face the same chemical contamination problems as the water that comes from our household taps.
Filtered tap water is a safer, chemical-free alternative drinking water supply
Instead of turning to bottled water as a “safer” alternative to tap water, a better solution is to install a water filtration system in your home. A whole house or point-of-use system will remove all of the chemicals from your tap water, and it will protect you from the health effects of both bottled water and tap water chemical contamination.
Also, consider buying a BPA-free reusable water bottle that you can fill with your home’s filtered tap water and take with you on the go. This will combine the convenience of bottled water with the positive health benefits of consuming filtered tap water.
If you have any questions about chemicals in bottled water, or if you’d like a water system serviced or installed in your home, contact North Carolina Water Consultants, your water softener and water filtration system dealer in North Carolina and South Carolina. We provide service all over the Carolinas, including towns like Matthews, Wadesboro and Casar, NC.