Millions of Americans buy bottled water due to concerns about chemicals in tap water – but they could actually be harming their health.
According to the International Bottled Water Association, Americans drink some 15 billion gallons of bottled water each year—around 45 gallons per person.
However, recent studies have shown bottled water may not be as safe as it seems.
Last year, a sweeping review found up to three quarters of bottled water contains harmful microplastics, which leach from packaging into our blood and accumulate in our organs, causing untold damage.
This led the researchers to conclude that ‘tap water is generally safe, inexpensive, convenient, and eco-friendly.’
However, other research has found as many as 100million Americans could be exposed to forever chemicals in their tap water.
Now, amid the growing body of research, some scientists now say definitively that tap water is ‘by and large safe,’ better regulated and contains fewer microplastics than bottled varieties.
Dr Phoebe Stapleton, associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at Rutgers University, told Food & Wine: ‘Tap water has gotten a bad reputation with the rise, availability, and advertising of bottled water.
‘However, tap water has been demonstrated to be a better choice.
‘It is less expensive, more environmentally friendly — especially considering bottle production, processing, packaging, distribution, and disposal — and is consistently regulated at the state and federal level.’
Tap water in the US is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through the Safe Water Drinking Act. This requires public water systems to monitor water quality and provide public reports on the findings and potential contaminents.
However, John Rumpler, clean water director and senior attorney for Environment America, told Food & Wine: ‘There are more standards and regulations for water coming out of your tap than for bottled water.’
Bottled water is regulated by the FDA as a food product. While the agency regularly tests for bacteria and synthetic materials like microplastics, this is usually done less frequently.
A study published in the journal BMJ Global Health last year found that between 10 and 78 percent carried microplastics and contaminants like phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA).
These have been shown to accumulate in organs and lead to hormone disruptions, infertility, and some forms of cancer.
Additionally, research from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that these microplastics from water bottles leach over 200,000 fragments per liter into the water.
However, a report released this week by nonprofit Silent Spring Institute looked at more than 4,800 water sources and found that 27 percent – serving 97million Americans – had detectable levels of at least one of four forever chemicals.
More formally known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), these chemicals do not break down in the environment, causing them to build up in the body and lead to conditions like cancer, thyroid disease, and high cholesterol.
Another 2023 study found PFAS in about 45 percent of US drinking water samples.
To minimize risk, Rumpler suggests using water filters to remove potential contaminants.
He also noted that bottled water is generally still safer than tap in places with unsafe drinking water.
He said: ‘This may be in cases of natural disasters, water emergencies, contamination associated with water main breaks, identified contamination, or other lack of a clean water supply.’
