In summary, the presence of disinfection byproducts in bottled waters highlights insufficient government oversight and inappropriate labeling of the bottled water products. 2006. Both bromodichloromethane and chlorodibromomethane are genotoxic and carcinogenic in animal studies (Richardson 2007). Available:http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts2.html [accessed September 25 2008]. Two of the TTHM chemicals, bromodichloromethane and chloroform, are regulated in California under the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act, also known as Proposition 65 (OEHHA 2008). Two independent samples of Sam's Choice water were purchased in Oakland, CA, with total trihalomethane levels at 21 and 23 ppb and levels of bromodichloromethane at 7.7 and 8.5 ppb. Using EPA methodology (EPA 300.0), the laboratory prepared and tested water samples for nitrate. 1993. Microbial contamination resulted in 2,909 alerts or 13.9 percent of the total along with inorganic contamination initiating 69 (0.3 percent) of the alerts. This brand discloses on its label the public water source from which the bottled water was prepared and the treatment method applied (filtration through activated charcoal). Choose a filter certified to remove contaminants found in your water: Carbon filters (pitcher or tap-mounted) are affordable and reduce many common water contaminants, like lead and byproducts of the disinfection process used to treat municipal tap water. Bisphenol A is released from polycarbonate drinking bottles and mimics the neurotoxic actions of estrogen in developing cerebellar neurons. Investigation of carbonyl compounds in bottled waters from Poland. The only striking difference: the price tag. Protect our health from source to tap: National drinking water program highlights. For each of the ten brands, EWG shipped 24 liters (or 6 gallons) to the University Hygienic Laboratory (Iowa City, IA) and 0.5 liters to the University of Missouri (Columbia, MO). EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). 2004. EWG investigation found chemical contamination in all bottled waters tested. The municipal water sources of the Walmart’s Sam’s Choice and Giant’s Acadia bottled waters were identified through contact with Walmart representatives, their bottled water manufacturer, and city/utility officials; or from the label (Giant). The environmental impacts associated with bottled water production and distribution aggravate the nation's water quality problems rather than contributing to their solution. OEHHA (Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment). Overall, the levels of trihalomethanes and fluoride in the five tested samples of Acadia water were very close to the levels in the local source water (Table 4). Analytical QC Docket No. It is tested and certified free of pesticides, heavy metals, pharmaceutical traces, and BPA, all of which can contaminate tap water. All Americans deserve to have access to good quality drinking water, with full disclosure of its sources, treatment, and potential presence of chemical contaminants. The health consequences of exposures to these complex mixtures of contaminants like those found in bottled water have never been studied. While the boron concentration found in this study are below the WHO levels, our finding highlights that adequate purification methods are not applied to water before bottling. Eberhartinger S, Steiner I, Washuttl J, Kroyer G. 1990. The extract was dried and concentrated to a volume of 1 mL. CR recently tested 47 bottled waters, including 35 noncarbonated and 12 carbonated ones. Using EPA methodology (EPA 552.2), the laboratory prepared and tested 40 mL samples of each of the bottled water brands for haloacetic acids (HAAs). Organic analytes were extracted from 1 L samples of water with a liquid-solid extraction (LSE) method, in which the samples were passed through a cartridge coated with a solid matrix containing a chemically bonded C18 organic phase. [email protected] A carbon filter at the tap or in a pitcher costs a manageable $0.31 per gallon (12 times lower than the typical cost of bottled water), and removes many of the contaminants found in public tap water supplies. The quality of the samples varied significantly, with some bottled waters exposing consumers to unexpectedly high pollution load. National Research Council of the National Academies. EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). Citizens have a right to know this basic information about the bottled water that they are purchasing. September 2000. For every utility the range of values from lowest to the highest represents the concentrations of TTHMs that were found in the tap water over the course of the year. These byproducts are linked to cancer and reproductive problems and form when disinfectants react with residual pollution in the water. The organic compounds were extracted from the LSE cartridge by washing it with small quantities of ethyl acetate, followed by methylene chloride. Notla Water Authority provided a single value for TTHMs, not a range. Measures in a multi-barrier approach may include one or more of the following: source protection, source monitoring, reverse osmosis, distillation, micro-filtration, carbon filtration, ozonation, and ultraviolet (UV) light. Then we take your logo or another unique image and print it on the bottle’s label. NAS (National Academy of Sciences). Bassin EB, Wypij D, Davis RB, Mittleman MA. Le HH, Carlson EM, Chua JP, Belcher SM. 1996. Pollutants in Walmart and Giant Bottled Water Exceed Industry and California Standards. ’Bottling Up’ Our Natural Resources: The Fight Over Bottled Water Extraction in the United States. The University of Missouri performed an estrogen-dependent cell proliferation assay in a 96-well robotic format to determine if there was any estrogenic activity associated with any of the bottled water samples. Available: http://www.oehha.org/prop65/getNSRLs.html [accessed September 8 2008]. Wright, J. M., J. Schwartz, and D. W. Dockery. Experts Drink in the Data. The levels of chloroform detected in three out of four Sam's Choice bottled waters from CA are between 9.6 and 15 ppb, very close to or over this limit. Inhaled acetaldehyde poses a risk for genetic mutations and cancer, and it is classified by the EPA IRIS as a probable human carcinogen (EPA 1991). [*FDA: 21 CFR 129.35(a)(3)(i) / USEPA: 40 CFR … The ions of interest were separated and their concentrations measured using a system comprised of a guard column, a separator column, a suppressor device and a conductivity detector. Richardson SD, Thruston AD Jr., Caughran TV, Chen PH, Collette TW, and Floyd TL. Given this wide range in prices, EWG assumed a flat $1.00 per liter price per liter (or $3.79 per gallon), which is what most consumers would pay for a typical liter bottle of water bought from a convenience store. UHL prepared and tested the bottled water samples for heterotrophic bacteria using standard methodology SM 9215B. The absorbance of the reaction product was measured at 630 nm. Sci. 2006. Most people can’t distinguish bottled water from tap water in blind taste tests (9, 10). Four brands were also contaminated with bacteria. As uncovered by EWG, while some bottled waters appear to be purified or treated more than tap water, others contain excessive levels of chemical pollutants. When it comes to bottled water, FDA largely takes a hands-off approach. Drinking water testing laboratory offering 50-state compliance for bottled water analysis, tests to meet global requirements and industry standards. Data on the levels of disinfection byproducts (total trihalomethanes or TTHMs) in these municipal water sources were obtained from Notla Water Authority in Blairsville, Georgia; Las Vegas Valley Water District; and Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission. After incubation, the samples were examined for a color change and total coliform was recorded as most probably number (MPN). Mendoza. Arsenic was found in one brand, at 1 ppb concentration. Available: http://www.earth-policy.org/Updates/2006/Update51.htm [accessed August 13, 2008]. Nitrate was found in six brands, at concentrations between 0.1 - 1.7 ppm, with average level (among the six positive brands) of 0.5 ppm. Hard plastic bottles (#7 plastic) can leach a harmful plastics chemical called bisphenol A (BPA) into water. Being informed ensures we get the best water quality available. Environ. Thus, the annual cost is in the range of $260 - $595 with an average of $375. However, this requirement can be circumvented by the bottlers. There are many tests and checks carried out on our products. Available: www.epa.gov/OGWDW/sdwa/30th/factsheets/pdfs/fs_30ann_dwsrf_web.pdf[accessed October 2 2008]. 278-281. Methemoglobinemia: nitrate toxicity in rural America. Available: http://www.epa.gov/IRIS/subst/0290.htm [accessed August 27 2008]. In other words, this bottled water was chemically indistinguishable from tap water. Sci Total Environ 402(2-3): 201-16. Available: http://www.epa.gov/ncea/iris/subst/0655.htm [accessed September 23 2008]. ), “Microbial Health Risks of Regulated Drinking Waters in the United States,”, https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/burden/current-data.html, http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6644a3External, Dry winter air contributes to dehydration in people, Andy Eaton inducted into the Bottled Water Hall of Fame, Primo Water Leader Earns Prestigious Industry Award, Sales Specialist Earns Prestigious Industry Award, Florida Economic and Government Relations Vice President Earns National Advocacy Award, MYTH: It takes 17 million barrels of oil a year to make bottled water bottles. Unlike public water utilities, bottled water companies are not required to notify their customers of the occurrence of contaminants in the water, or, in most states, to tell their customers where the water comes from, how and if it is purified, and if it is merely bottled tap water. The concentrations in bottled water are below the average therapeutic dosage; however, effects of life-long, constant exposure to this levels of acetaminophen are not known. Available: ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/roc/eleventh/profiles/s038chlo.pdf [accessed July 29 2008]. Consumers could have obtained much better drinking water simply by installing a home tap water filter at a fraction of the bottled water cost. 2005a. Currently there is a double standard where tap water suppliers provide information to consumers on contaminants, filtration techniques, and source water; bottled water companies do not. It's especially important for women to drink plenty of water during pregnancy. Two specific radiological contaminants were detected in bottled waters tested, Radium-228 and Strontium-90, and both are known cancer-causing elements. Hexane, another industrial chemical for which no drinking water standards have been established, was found in four brands. Additional health problems from DBP exposure may include rectal and colon cancers, kidney and spleen disorders, immune system problems and neurotoxic effects (EPA 2001a; EPA 2007a; Richardson 2007). Both EPA and the International Agency for Research on Cancer consider dichloroacetic acid likely to be a carcinogen in humans (EPA 2003). Two independent samples of Acadia water were purchased in Stafford, VA with total trihalomethane levels at 22 and 23 ppb. Available: http://www.slate.com/id/2189574/pagenum/all/ [accessed August 13, 2008]. 2008e. Available: www.epa.gov/OGWDW/mdbp/stage1dbprfactsheet.pdf [accessed September 23 2008]. EWG study highlighted that weak FDA regulations are unable to ensure bottled water quality that consumers expect. 18:2, Spring 2003, Pgs. 2008c. Moreover, firms that use a public water system for their bottled water production may rely on public water system testing results instead of conducting their own independent testing, while other bottlers may reduce the frequency of their testing, as well as the number of chemical contaminants for which they test by obtaining a state-issued waiver (Title 21 CFR 129.35(a)(4)(i-ii)). Integrated Risk Information System. And sometimes this is for good reason. Environmental Working Group is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, EIN 52-2148600. FDA should hold the bottled water industry to the same standard of transparency that our water utilities must meet in terms of where the water comes from, how it's treated, and the residual pollution it contains. Among the four tested Sam's Choice bottled waters from California stores, three contained trihalomethanes, and all three were over the 10 ppb CA state limit, with average concentration of 27 ppb. * Bottled water is tested for total coliform bacteria at least twice as often as tap water. Third National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals. At the end of the incubation period, the number of bacterial colonies formed was noted. Testimony before the Subcommittee on Domestic Policy, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, U.S. House of Representatives, Dec. 12, 2007. Cancer-causing contaminants in bottled water purchased in 5 states (North Carolina, California, Virginia, Delaware and Maryland) and the District of Columbia substantially exceeded the voluntary standards established by the bottled water industry. The bottle water also had a TDS of 001, a hardness level of 0, and a pH of 6. What Do Water Testing Results Mean? Moreover, studies of infants in Europe have found that three to four percent of methemoglobinemia cases in infants occur at even lower levels, below the legal limit (Sattelmacher 1964; Simon 1962). We found that fewer than half describe the water source (i.e., municipal or natural) or provide any information on whether or how the water is treated. (n.d.). The main type of packaging for bottled water is polyethylene terephthalate or PET, identified by recycling code 1. Arsenic is a metal that enters water by erosion of natural deposits, as well as industrial runoff. Now they are regulated as a group of five acids with a cumulative legal limit of 60 ppb in drinking water, whether tap or bottled (EPA 2008b; FDA 2008b). Given some bottled water company's failure to adhere to the industry's own purity standards, Americans cannot take the quality of bottled water for granted. 3 EWG compared 5 different whole house carbon filter units and documented prices in the range between $64.99 to $795 per unit, with life spans between 3 and 36 months. Emerging science suggests that nitrate derived from agricultural run-off is capable of disrupting the functioning of thyroid hormones and reproductive hormones, thus contributing to the overall environmental load of endocrine disrupting chemicals to which humans and animals are exposed (Edwards 2006; Guillette & Edwards 2005; Guillette 2006; Hotchkiss 2008; McDaniel 2008). The presence of toluene in drinking water presents a significant public health risk, since health impacts associated with toluene include cardiovascular or blood toxicity, developmental toxicity, gastrointestinal or liver toxicity, immunotoxicity, kidney toxicity, neurotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, respiratory toxicity, and skin sensitivity (EPA 2005d).
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