Which Plastic Water Bottles are Safest?

Choose your water bottles very carefully in order to prevent chemicals in the plastic from leaching into your water.

Plastic water bottles are very convenient for carting water around when we are on the go, as they don’t break if we drop them. However, it is worth paying attention to the type of plastic your water bottle is made of, to ensure that the chemicals in the plastic do not leach into the water. If you taste plastic, you are drinking it, so get yourself another bottle.

To be certain that you are choosing a bottle that does not leach, check the recycling symbol on your bottle. If it is a #2 HDPE (high density polyethylene), or a #4 LDPE (low density polyethylene), or a #5 PP (polypropylene), your bottle is fine. The type of plastic bottle in which water is usually sold is usually a #1, and is only recommended for one time use. Do not refill it. Better to use a reusable water bottle, and fill it with your own filtered water from home and keep these single-use bottles out of the landfill.

Unfortunately, those fabulous colourful hard plastic lexan bottles made with polycarbonate plastics and identified by the #7 recycling symbol, may leach BPA. Bisphenol A is a xenoestrogen, a known endocrine disruptor, meaning it disturbs the hormonal messaging in our bodies. Synthetic xenoestrogens are linked to breast cancer and uterine cancer in women, decreased testosterone levels in men, and are particularly devastating to babies and young children. BPA has even been linked to insulin resistance and Type 2 Diabetes. For more of the science on the effects of BPA on our endocrine system etc. Nalgene, the company that manufactures the lexan water bottles also makes #2 HDPE bottles in the same sizes and shapes, so we have a viable alternative.

Unfortunately, most plastic baby bottles and drinking cups are made with plastics containing Bisphenol A. In 2006 Europe banned all products made for children under age 3 containing BPA, and as of Dec. 2006 the city of San Franscisco followed suit. In March 2007 a billion-dollar class action suit was commenced against Gerber, Playtex, Evenflo, Avent, and Dr. Brown’s in Los Angeles superior court for harm done to babies caused by drinking out of baby bottles and sippy cups containing BPA. So, to be certain that your baby is not exposed, use glass bottles.

Check the recycling numbers on all your plastic food containers as well, and gradually move to storing all food in glass or ceramic.

Store water in glass or brass if possible, and out of direct sunlight.

Source: http://trusted.md/blog/vreni_gurd/2007/03/29/plastic_water_bottles

How Safe is Your Drinking Water?

How Safe is Your Tap Water?

Not all bottled waters are what they claim to be. Many are simply filtered City Tap Water! Be sure to investigate the source of your favorite brand to be sure it’s really spring water! Drinking water from most municipal water supplies is tested to be free of only a minimal number of contaminants as defined by law. These levels are often dangerously high. Make sure you know the water you are drinking is as pure as possible.

Would you pay $1 to $3 a bottle for City Tap Water?

Did you know many popular brands of bottled water are actually bottled in big warehouses located in industrial parks in big cities? It’s true. Sure the water is filtered before it’s bottled but that doesn’t mean that it is natural. Many companies put pictures (cartoonish in nature) of Glacial Capped Mountains and have fancy names with words like “spring”, “mountain”, “fresh”, etc. But the true source of the water is often no different or safer than your own filtered tap water.

I have read several articles on this subject and I’ll be adding brands and tests and bottled water resources so you can compare your favorite brands for purity. Some bottled water tested actually had dangerous particulate matter in parts per billion. So what you may think is pure may not be pure. This is also true of the part of the country in which the water is packaged. For example water bottled under one brand name in California may be pure and clear yet in another part of the country it may have dangerous or potentially dangerous substances within it.

It’s not enough to drink “safe” water what about the water you wash your dishes in, your hands, or even shower and bathe? Get the Tap Water Facts:

The Federal Safe Drinking Water Act has regulated tap or “city” water since 1974.

However, this does not guarantee that tap water is safe because government standards do allow contaminants to be present in tap water.

Is My Filtered Water Safe?

Here’s something the filter industry doesn’t want you to know: No filter exists to remove every contaminant. Your filter is better at removing certain contaminants and worse at removing others. And many filters are only good at improving the taste and odor of your water.

Plus, are you using unfiltered water to:

- Shower
- Bathe
- Wash your hands
- Wash laundry
- Clean food and beverage utensils
- Cook
- Etc.

Science has proven that water contamination enters the body thru:

- The water you drink
- Inhaling steam vapor from showering
- Dermal (skin) absorption from water used to wash hands, shower, bathe, cook, etc.
- Residue left of glasses, dishes and other utensils, washed in contaminated water
- That’s why drinking filtered water isn’t enough!

Source: AquaMD (see link at bottom of page on how to get your water tested)

While the amount of contaminants the Federal government allows to be in tap water are believed to be set at safe levels, the health effects information used to establish drinking water standards do have some uncertainty. And, there is always concern about finding new or emerging contaminants, like the gasoline additive MTBE, that are not yet regulated.

Information provided by the United States Environmental Protection Agency reports that recently there were 27 million Americans served by water systems that violated health standards.

Overall, the quality and safety of water provided by the nations public water systems is good. But obviously there are problems.

Is your Tap Water safe? For information on how to have your Tap Water tested for safety please visit: AquaMD