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Reasons You Should Not Rely on Bottled Water
German
researchers have found that the longer a bottle of water sits
on a store shelf or in a household pantry, the higher the
dose of antimony it contains. Amounts of this potentially
toxic trace element were measured for 15 brands of Canadian
bottled water and 48 European brands. Concentrations reached
more than 100 times the average level of antimony in pristine
groundwaters (2 parts per trillion).
However, the concentration was even higher after the bottles
were left to sit at room temperature for six months. Antimony
concentrations in the Canadian bottled waters increased by
19 percent, concentrations in the European brands increased
by 90 percent.
Most of
the water tested was packaged in bottles made of polyethylene
terephthalate (PET). Antimony trioxide is used as a catalyst
in the manufacture of PET. The different concentrations of
antimony in the various brands might have been caused by differing
temperatures, water pHs, or exposure to sunlight.
Bottled water,
although touted as pure, may not be any cleaner than tap water.
Up to 40 percent of bottled water is bottled tap water that
may or may not have received additional treatment.
The Environmental
Protection Agency regulates the quality of public water supplies,
however they have no authority over bottled water. Further,
bottled water labels can be misleading and may depict mountains
and streams when the water actually came from a well in an
industrial facility parking lot.
Environmental
groups have also voiced concerns over the huge amounts of
waste and toxins created by the bottled water industry.
If you
are unsure if your water is safe, I recommend you find out
by taking advantage of AquaMD's Diagnostic
Service or their Direct
Laboratory Testing Services. AquaMD is an independent
water quality testing service.
Hartford
Advocate News August 28, 2003
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