Transcript Bottle is Not Always Better

The Environmental Factors Surrounding Bottled Water
Sasha Abdur-Rashid, MPH Student
Walden University
PUBH 6165-1
Instructor: Dr. Shana Morrell
Fall Term, 2009
Objectives
 Bottled Water Regulations
 Bottled Water Quality
 Bottled Water Health Risks
 Environmental Waste Impact
 Safety of Tap Water
Purpose
This presentation will explore the environmental factors
involved in the issue of bottle versus tap. Then you
make the decision for yourself!
Water
Water is Essential for Human Life.
Figure1: Picture of person fetching water. Retrieved November 8, 2009 from
http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0WTefT3_eJKbSEBJeOjzbkF/SIG=12slnfjcd/EXP=1256476535/
Figure3: Picture of child drinking. Retrieved November 8, 2009 from
http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0WTefTD_uJKCUsABGCjzbkF/SIG=125hl3p5e/EXP=1256476739/**http%3A//w
ww.flickr.com/photos/obiakpere/245443645:/
History of Bottled Water
 Around the mid 1970s, television introduced the
concept of “bottled water as better”.
 This belief established a perception of superiority of
bottled water over tap water
 Drinking bottled water became a symbol of distinction
or wealth.
Reference: Bottled Water. (2008). Retrieved from http://geology.com/articles/bottled-water.shtml
History of Bottled Water
 The market exploded with rapid growth over the years.
 The number of gallons of bottled water rose from 354
in 1976 to 4646 in 1999 and continues to rise.
 American citizens drink about 13 billion liters of
bottled water per year.
Reference: IBWA. (2002). Retrieved fromhttp://www.bottledwater.org/public/volumegrowthandconsumption.htm
Water is Life. (2009). Retrieved from http://academic/evergreen.edu/g/grossmaz/kleissil
Bottle Water Consumption
 Going to sports game or practice
 Going to workout or exercise
 On a hot day to quench your thirst
 Buying water to drink with a meal
Imagine the Environmental
Consequences of This…
Figure 4: Bottles in Landfill. Retrieved November 8, 2009 from
http://katynally.wordpress.com/tag/bottle-bill/
Is Bottled Water Better?
Figure 5: Pictures of water. Retrieved November 8, 20009
from www.fotosearch.compmk34154
Bottled Water Regulation
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates the
quality of water produced by the bottled water
industry.
FDA. (2007) . Retrieved from http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/ucm046894.htm
Bottle Water Regulation
The FDA requires annual testing by a lab for pesticides and harmful
chemicals.
“ On an annual basis, bottlers must also analyze finished product samples for the








following:
Inorganic contaminants (including pH, nitrate, chloride, fluoride, total dissolved
solids)
Trace metals
Minerals (including nickel, mercury and silver)
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
Pesticides and PCBs
Herbicides
Synthetic organic compounds (SOCs)
Gross alpha and beta/radium (radiological analysis)”
Reference: Bottled Water Regulations. (2004) Retrieved from
http://www.bottledwater.org/public/BWFactsRegHome.htm
Bottled Water Regulation
Bottlers can receive exemption based on past credibility
of test results, therefore there can be less frequent
screenings.
Bottled Water Quality
“In 1999, NRDC conducted 1000 separate tests of more
than 100 brands of bottled water and concluded that
bottled water is not necessarily any purer or any safer
than city tap, containing elevated levels of arsenic,
bacteria, and other contaminants” (NRDC, 2002).
References: NRDC. (2002). Retrieved from http://www.nrdc.org/water/drinking/qtap.asp
Bottled Water Quality
The Environmental Working Group testing of bottled
water samples revealed bacteria and carcinogenic
levels of chemicals in two major bottled water
company samples.
Reference: Environmental Working Group. (2009). Retrieved from
http://www.ewg.org/BottledWater/Bottled-Water-Quality-Investigation-Test-Results
Bottled Water Health Risks
Most bottled water is sold in plastic bottles containing
bisphenol A, which has been shown to be harmful to
humans in animal studies.
Reference: Talsness,C. & Andrade,A. & Kuriyama,S. & Taylor,J. & vom Saal,F. (2009). Components of
plastic: experimental studies in animals and relevance for human health. Philosophical Transactions
Bottled Water Health Risks
A study evaluating the effects of bisphenol A on the
human body revealed that after consuming liquid from
plastic bottles containing BPA for one week, the
subjects excreted two thirds higher urinary levels
(McGovern, 2009, para 1).
Reference: McGovern,V. (2009). Polycarbonate Plastics and Human BPA Exposure: Urinary Levels Rise
with Use of Drinking Bottles. Environmental Health Perspective. 117(9).
Effects of BPA
The health consequences of BPA include effects on the
cardiac and reproductive systems.
They include:
 Irregular heartbeats
 Heart palpitations
 Infertility
 Developmental disorders in infants and children
Reference: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. (2008). Retrieved from
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/media/questions/sya-bpa.cfm
Health Risks
Low Flouride Levels in Water
Leads to
Dental Problems
Reference: Lalumandier,J. & Ayers,L. (2000). Fluroide and Bacterial Content of Bottled Water versus
Tap Water. Archives of Family Medicine.(9) 246-250.
Health Risks
Researchers have found higher bacteria counts in
bottled water than tap water!
Reference: Case Western Reserve University (2000). Study Finds Some Bottled Water Has More Bacteria And Less
Fluoride Than Tap Water. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 8, 2009, from http://www.sciencedaily.com
/releases/2000/03/000322090356.htm
Environmental Waste Impact
Statistics from Project Earth:
 Millions of bottles are used every year in the US and almost all of
thrown in the trash, and not recycled.
 That accounts for the huge amount of plastic filling landfills.
 “In 2007, over 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide was generated and
more than 17 million barrels of oil were used in America alone for
single use bottle water.” (Project Earth, 2009)
 It takes three times the amount of water to make one bottle of water
(Project Earth, 2009).
Reference: Project Earth. (2009). Retrieved from http://www.projectearthh2o.com/environmental_impact.php
Environmental Waste Impact
Figure 6: Cost of Bottled Water. Retrieved November 8, 2009 from
http://images.thetimes.co.uk/TGD/picture/0,,269869,00.jpg
Environmental Waste Impact
Michigan Representative, Bart Stupak stated:
“Americans are willing to pay top dollars for bottled
water, which costs up to 1900 times more than tap
water and uses up to 2000 times more energy to
produce and deliver!”
Reference: Michigan Messenger . (2009). Retrieved from http://michiganmessenger.com/22526/stupakscrutinizes-bottled-water-in-capitol-hill-grilling
Safety of Tap Water
“The United States has one of the safest drinking water
supplies in the world” (EPA,1999, para 1)
Reference: EPA.(1999). Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/safewater/dwh/index.html
Safety of Tap Water
Figure 7: Water Filtration System.
Source:http://www.excelwater.com/eng/b2c/about
_8.php
Safety of Tap Water
The EPA monitors the existence of nearly 100
contaminants in drinking water. These contaminants
and possible consequences can be furthered reviewed
at:
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/contaminant
s/basicinformation.html
Safety of Tap Water
Safe Drinking Water Act: gives EPA the authorization to
regulate the health quality of water, set limits and regularly
monitor drinking water.
Reference: SDWA. (2009). Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/OGWDW/sdwa
/
Safety of Tap Water
Each municipality must publish notification of the
quality of water and any violations.
These reports can be viewed at :
www.epa.gov/safewater/ccr
Reference: Local Drinking Water. (2009). EPA. Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/safewater/dwinfo/index.html
Safety of Tap Water
Nearly half of bottled water comes from tap water
sources... So how can bottled water be superior?
Reference: NRDC.(1999). Retrieved from http://www.nrdc.org/water/drinking/nbw.asp
Summary
Bottling companies continue to instill the perception
that drinking bottled water yields additional benefits
over tap water. However, this is unsubstantiated.
Summary









The FDA gives little oversight into the production practices of the bottled water industry.
Possible exemption from yearly screenings
No requirement for certification of laboratory evaluating water samples.
Bottling industry not required to report harmful levels or non-compliance to either FDA or
consumers
Harmful contaminants can go undetected and cause bacterial infections, cancer, and other organ
damage.
Bottled water production yields tons of landfill waste and utilizes a significant amount of natural
resources.
Tap water is regularly monitored and screened with strict guidelines from EPA.
Consumers are informed of unhealthy drinking conditions or levels of contaminants.
Purified Drinking Water is taken from municipal sources, therefore implies safety.
Reference: NRDC. (2009). Retrieved from http://www.nrdc.org/water/drinking/bw/exesum.asp
References
Bottled Water. (2008). Retrieved from http://geology.com/articles/bottled-water.shtml
Bottled Water Regulations. (2004) . Retrieved from
http://www.bottledwater.org/public/BWFactsRegHome.htm
Bottled Water and Tooth Decay: Kids May Not Be Getting Enough Flouride. (2006). Retrieved from
http://www2.fluoridealert.org/Alert/United-States/National/Bottled-Water-and-Tooth-Decay-KidsMay-Not-Be-Getting-Enough-Fluoride
Case Western Reserve University (2000). Study Finds Some Bottled Water Has More Bacteria And Less
Fluoride Than Tap Water. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 8, 2009, from
http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2000/03/000322090356.htm
EPA.(1999). Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/safewater/dwh/index.html
Environmental Working Group. (2009). Retrieved from http://www.ewg.org/BottledWater/BottledWater-Quality-Investigation-Test-Results
Reference
IBWA. (2002). Retrieved from
http://www.bottledwater.org/public/volumegrowthandconsumption.htm
Lalumandier,J. & Ayers,L. (2000) Fluoride and bacterial content of bottled water versus tap water.
Archives of Family Medicine. (9) 246-250.
Local Drinking Water. (2009). EPA. Retrieved from
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/dwinfo/index.html
Michigan Messenger. (2009). Retrieved from http://michiganmessenger.com/22526/stupakscrutinizes-bottled-water-in-capitol-hill-grilling
McGovern,V. (2009). Polycarbonate Plastics and Human BPA Exposure: Urinary Levels Rise with Use
of Drinking Bottles. Environmental Health Perspective. 117(9).
References
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. (2008). Retrieved from
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/media/questions/sya-bpa.cfm
NRDC. (2002). Retrieved from http://www.nrdc.org/water/drinking/qtap.asp
Project Earth. (2009). Retrieved from http://www.projectearthh2o.com/environmental_impact.php
SDWA. (2009). Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/OGWDW/sdwa/
Talsness,C. & Andrade,A. & Kuriyama,S. & Taylor,J. & vom Saal,F. (2009). Components of plastic:
experimental studies in animals and relevance for human health. Philosophical Transactions of the
Royal Society of London. (1526). 2079-2096.
Water is Life. (2009). Retrieved from http://academic/evergreen.edu/g/grossmaz/kleissil
Further Reading
Bisphenol A. (2006). Retrieved from http://www.bisphenola.org/human/polyplastics.html
Committee on Energy and Commerce. (2009). Retrieved from
http://energycommerce.house.gov/Press_111/20090708/stupak_open.pdf
Kids Health. (2009). Retrieved from
http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/teeth/fluoride.html
Kawamura,Y. & Koyama,Y. & Takeda,Y. & Yamada,T. (n.d.) Migration of Bisphenol
A from Polycarbonate Products. Retrieved from http://www.bisphenola.org/pdf/migration.pdf
Further Reading
Planet Green. (2009). Retrieved from http://planetgreen.discovery.com/food-health/healthier-tapbottled-water.html
Natural Resources Defense Council. (2009). Retrieved from
http://www.nrdc.org/water/drinking/bw/chap2.asp
National Geographic News. (2006). Retrieved from
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/02/0224_060224_bottled_water.html
Webmd. (2008). Bottled Water FAQ on Safety and Purity. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/foodrecipes/news/20081107/bottled-water-faq-on-safety-and-purity