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The Guardian
Do you drink bottled water? Read it
Bottled water is atrocious to the environment. You’d better buy a water filter for healthier, tastier water. Although water bottles are recyclable, Americans throw away about 80% of the bottles they use – and, by some estimates, Americans throw away about 80% of the bottles they use. use 1,500 plastic water bottles per second. Photograph: Seth Herald / AFP / Getty Images For years, the debate has raged over: which is better, bottled water or the tap? Despite its ever-increasing popularity in the United States, bottled water is atrocious to the environment. To quote the Office of Sustainability at Harvard University, “The entire life cycle of bottled water uses fossil fuels, contributes to global warming, and causes pollution.” Although water bottles are recyclable, Americans throw away about 80% of the bottles they use – and, by some estimates, Americans use 1,500 plastic water bottles per second. Plastic bottles are a huge contributor to global environmental crises, in part because they disintegrate into microplastics, the presence of which is so ubiquitous that researchers recently discovered them in the placentas of unborn babies. Bottled water requires 2,000 times more energy to produce and ship than its tap equivalent. The extraction and manufacturing processes used by bottled water companies can also have negative environmental and economic effects, and amount to the privatization and commodification of a finite and priceless resource to which all should have a universal right. . When clean, safe water is not available, drinking bottled water becomes a necessity. The average consumer, however, does not buy bottled water out of need, but because it is convenient and often marketed as purer or tastier than tap – though it doesn’t even necessarily come from sources. attractive that consumers think it does. Bottled water is also around 3,000% more expensive per gallon than what’s in the tap. When it comes to the sanitary qualities of bottled water compared to tap water, the differences are largely negligible. Tap water and bottled water are necessary to meet the quality requirements set respectively by the EPA and the FDA. Contamination is always possible in either – and it’s an urgent problem affecting tap water in parts of the United States – but by standards, both are generally safe to drink. Current standards, however, have not quite caught up with the threat of PFAS – a group of industrial chemicals numbering in the thousands and used in a variety of consumer products. PFAS have been found in tap and bottled water. There is currently no federal guidance on the regulation of PFAS, although there is some evidence that the most studied forms of PFAS are carcinogenic and linked to liver damage, thyroid disease, and pregnancy risks, among other adverse effects. about health. “PFAS have been found in the blood of over 98% of Americans,” Dr. Rebecca Aicher, project director at the Center for Scientific Evidence in Public Issues, told me. “Because research has shown that there may be effects on human health, there is a lot of interest in where the exposure is coming from – [and] we know that drinking water is exposed. According to The Environmental Working Group, as of January 2021, 2,337 sites in 49 states are known to be contaminated with PFAS in their water systems. Last fall, Consumer Reports also saw levels of PFAS in popular bottled water brands, including Nestlé products from the Perrier and Poland Spring lines, and canned sparkling waters like Bubly and LaCroix, among others. So where does that leave those of us who just want to stay hydrated? “More importantly,” says Aicher, “municipal water needs to be tested to determine if there are PFASs in the water – this is the first step, to encourage states and communities to have plans for it. ‘sampling and monitoring for PFAS. ” It follows that bottled water companies should also be held accountable for testing PFAS. If there is PFAS in your drinking water, the wisest immediate option may be to invest in a home water filter and maintain it responsibly, according to a 2020 study by researchers at the Duke University and North Carolina State University. Scientists compared the level of contaminants remaining in water filtered through pitchers, devices in the refrigerator, reverse osmosis under sink and dual stage filters, and whole-house systems. “All of the under-sink and two-stage reverse osmosis filters provided almost complete removal of the PFAS chemicals we were testing,” said Dr. Heather Stapleton, who worked on the study, in a statement from Duke University. . “In contrast, the effectiveness of activated carbon filters used in many styles of pitcher, countertop, refrigerator, and faucet was inconsistent and unpredictable. The systems throughout the house were also highly variable and in some cases actually increased the levels of PFAS in the water. Even then, there is the question of what to do with your PFAS screened filter once you are done with it. Efficient water filters can remove PFAS, “but you’re not actually destroying PFAS. So once you take the PFAS out of the water, there is actually some waste that needs to be dealt with because the PFASs are still intact, ”Aicher says. If disposed of in a landfill, PFAS will return to waterways. They can be incinerated at very high temperatures, but unless you have access to an industrial incinerator, you’re stuck waiting for state intervention or the EPA’s action plan to fight against the presence of PFAS in drinking water to have a significant effect in your community. I know – it’s hard to swallow. Adrienne Matei is a freelance writer
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