The Environmental Factors Surrounding Bottled Water Sasha Abdur-Rashid, MPH Student Walden University PUBH 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 fromFigure3: Picture of child drinking. Retrieved November 8, 2009 fromww.flickr.com/photos/obiakpere/ :/ 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 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 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/ Is Bottled Water Better? Figure 5: Pictures of water. Retrieved November 8, from Bottled Water Regulation Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates the quality of water produced by the bottled water industry. FDA. (2007). Retrieved from 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 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 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 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 of the Royal Society of London. (1526) 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 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) 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/releases/2000/03/ 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 Environmental Waste Impact Figure 6: Cost of Bottled Water. Retrieved November 8, 2009 from 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 fromscrutinizes-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 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: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/ Safety of Tap Water Each municipality must publish notification of the quality of water and any violations. These reports can be viewed at :Reference: Local Drinking Water. (2009). EPA. Retrieved from 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 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 References Bottled Water. (2008). Retrieved fromBottled Water Regulations. (2004). Retrieved fromBottled Water and Tooth Decay: Kids May Not Be Getting Enough Flouride. (2006). Retrieved fromMay-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/releases/2000/03/ htm EPA.(1999). Retrieved fromEnvironmental Working Group. (2009). Retrieved fromWater-Quality-Investigation-Test-Results Reference IBWA. (2002). Retrieved fromLalumandier,J. & Ayers,L. (2000) Fluoride and bacterial content of bottled water versus tap water. Archives of Family Medicine. (9) Local Drinking Water. (2009). EPA. Retrieved fromMichigan Messenger. (2009). Retrieved fromscrutinizes-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 fromNRDC. (2002). Retrieved fromProject Earth. (2009). Retrieved fromSDWA. (2009). Retrieved fromTalsness,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) Water is Life. (2009). Retrieved from Further Reading Bisphenol A. (2006). Retrieved froma.org/human/polyplastics.html Committee on Energy and Commerce. (2009). Retrieved fromKids Health. (2009). Retrieved fromKawamura,Y. & Koyama,Y. & Takeda,Y. & Yamada,T. (n.d.) Migration of Bisphenol A from Polycarbonate Products. Retrieved froma.org/pdf/migration.pdf Further Reading Planet Green. (2009). Retrieved frombottled-water.html Natural Resources Defense Council. (2009). Retrieved fromNational Geographic News. (2006). Retrieved fromWebmd. (2008). Bottled Water FAQ on Safety and Purity. Retrieved fromrecipes/news/ /bottled-water-faq-on-safety-and-purity