Final Research Paper: Bottled Water

Lillian Boatwright
Professor McCormick
English 101
May 18, 2010

BLOG #8 AND #9

Drinking Bottled Water is Not the Healthiest Choice

When consumers drink from their favorite bottled water brands, the majority of them are convinced that they are drinking the cleanest, most abundant source on earth. What are the underlying causes for many consumers to jump on the bandwagon for drinking pricey bottled water? The simple fact is that many individuals are daunted by numerous reports from the media that claim our tapped water supply is tainted with all sorts of bacteria and chemicals. Also, the bottled water companies have engaged in an effort to convince consumers that the water in the bottles is purer than tap water. Despite the claims from bottled water companies that drinking water from the bottle is healthier and safer, there are other reports that dispute their statements. In this essay, I will argue that while bottled water is falsely advertised as pure, it is actually less regulated than tap water and this raises health concerns.

Bottled Water Falsely Advertised
Individuals can’t deny that while shopping down the aisles in a grocery store they are inundated with misleading advertisements from the different bottled water brands. The companies for the brand water use clever marketing tactics to persuade consumers into thinking that they are drinking the finest water. They use depicting images, for example, of water cascading down from the mountains of Maine and pristine nature and slogans such as “Pure Water” & “Perfect Taste.” Many consumers have stated that their reason for solely drinking bottled water is health concerns. They say bottled water tastes better than tap water, and that it’s cleaner and safer to drink. Sadly, this is not true when in fact most bottled water is purified tap water. As proven by ABC’s 20/20, where they took several brands of bottled water and a sample of tap water from a fountain in New York City to be tested by a microbiologist of University of New Hampshire for bacteria-e coli, there was actually no difference between the tap water and the bottled water they tested (Stossel 1). 20/20 also stated “One of Aquafina’s sources is the Detroit River!”(Stossel 2). A spokeswoman from Pepsi-Cola, for instance, told CNN that Pepsi’s brand water - Aquafina will change its label on the bottle to, “The Aquafina in this bottle is purified water that originates from a public water source” (Byron 1). Also Nestle, which owns several popular brands such as Deer Park, Perrier, Poland Spring, and Arrowhead, was expected to modify all of their brand labels to “identify the source of the water whether it’s from a municipal supply or ground-water well source” (Byron 2). On the other hand, Coca-Cola which owns Dasani bottled water had no plans to label its product with the origin of its water source. The National Resource Defense Council cited in a 1999 report, “about one-fourth of bottled water is tap water [and by some accounts, as much as 40 percent is derived from tap water]-sometimes with additional treatment, sometimes not” (Bryon 2).

Bottled Water Regulations
Our nation’s food and water supply is regulated by two appointed agencies-The Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA is responsible for regulating tap water while the FDA oversees bottled water. Despite the claims from the International Bottled Water Association that bottled water regulations from the FDA are as stringent and protective as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards for public water supplies, unfortunately this is not the case. Bottled water for example, is far less frequently tested for bacteria and chemicals than tap water. Moreover, bottled water rules allow the presence of some contaminants such as e coli and fecal coliforms which are prohibited in tap water (Barnett 178). According to The Environmental Working Group who performed a survey, “all but a few bottled-water products don’t list where their bottled water comes from and how it is treated, and publish quality-test reports on their Web sites” (Zhang 2). The U.S. GAO (Government Accountability Office) stated the FDA considers bottled water “low-risk”, assigning only two or three employees to inspect bottling facilities. Although there were violations at the water sites, the agency barely did anything about it (Zhang 2). Also, it’s difficult for the FDA to monitor the quality of bottled water because of the agency’s lack of power and funding. An FDA official, Joshua M. Sharfstein, conceded the FDA has limited power to require more information on labels, and in an effort to gain more authority for food safety, the FDA is pushing for legislation to boost its funding (Zhang 1). With such limited power and funding, the bottled water companies are relishing the gaps in the organization’s regulations.

Health Concerns: Harmful Effects Bisphenol A
The health concerns that are linked to drinking bottled water are staggering. One of the major health issues involved with drinking bottled water is the chemicals used to produce the plastic bottles. Many consumers are not aware of the fact that plastic bottles are composed of fossil fuels and chemicals (Clarke 68). In addition to those chemicals, a chemical called Bisphenol A (BPA) also is used to make polycarbonate plastic. Bishphenol A is generally used in making baby bottles, beverage and food containers. In new studies, there are many concerns about the health risks of BPA that “leach” into beverages (Clarke 68). According to Jack Bend, who is a professor of pathology at the University of Western Ontario in London, stated Bishphenol A is an endocrine disrupter that has an impact on the hormonal system (Austen1). According to new research, young girls who were exposed to high levels of BPA showed to be more aggressive and hyperactive than other kids (Black 1).
In animal studies, BPA was linked to acceleration in puberty and poses a cancer risk in humans (Cullotta 1). Moreover, this chemical has been tied to an increased risk of heart disease and diabetes in adults. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, noted “about 93 percent of people in the U.S. have detectable levels of BPA in their urine” (Black 1). Despite all the side effects of BPA in humans, the FDA has no intentions of banning this chemical found in so many products (Cullota 1).
Health Concerns: Bacteria in Bottled Water
The second major health issue is that some bottled water brands are contaminated with bacteria due to their storage life. The bacteria count increases when bottles are shelved for a long period of time. This is not shocking given that the plastic bottles are made with chemicals that leach into the water, along with byproducts of the disinfectants used to clean the water.


FIGURE 1:
Bacterial Growth in Two Bottled Waters



Source: Adapted from P.V. Morais and M.S. Da Costa, "Alterations in the Major Heterotrophic Bacterial Populations Isolated from a Still Bottled Mineral Water," J. Applied Bacteriol, v. 69 pp. 750-757, Figure 1 (1990).

Figure. 1. illustrates how bacteria count can enormously increase when water is stored in a bottle for an extended amount of time (NRDC). The Environmental Working Group (EWG) also has conducted a study where chemicals were present in some bottled waters. Dr.Olga Naidenko, a senior scientist from EWG, states that investigators found that “Samples of the Sam’s Choice water purchased at a San Francisco area Wal-Mart had levels of the disinfection byproducts trihalomethanes that exceeded the California legal limit for these chemicals” (Boyles 1). Some of the contamination found in the water has caused side effects in humans. In the months of August and September of 2000, there had been several cases where three people from Manhattan became seriously ill after drinking contaminated bottled water. The first incident occurred “when a woman felt a burning sensation in her throat and began bleeding from her mouth after drinking a bottle of Perrier water on Aug 3rd at a Manhattan restaurant” (Bumiller 1). After testing the contaminated water, there had been “some type of sodium hydroxide” which was described as a “strong cleaning agent” or a “lye-type agent”(Bumiller 1). The second case happened on August 27th when an older gentleman experienced a burning sensation in his throat after drinking Aquafina bottled water. The police commissioner, Bernard B. Kerik said, “the test on the water showed the presence of ammonia” (Bumiller 1). The third occurrence happened to an 18-month-old infant who appeared to be in pain after her mother gave her Poland Spring bottled water. Testing of the water showed the presence of ammonia.

In conclusion, the bottled water companies are misleading people into thinking that they are drinking a healthy product. The reality is that the majority of brand waters are derived from tap water. Bottled water isn’t the best product because substantial data indicates that it’s less regulated than tap water, and harmful chemicals have been found in the bottled water. Consumers should be more wary before investing in a product that promises better quality.

Word count - 1,719



Works Cited

Austen, Ian. “Canada Likely to Label Plastic Ingredient ‘Toxic’.” The New York
Times.The New York Times, 16 April 2008. Web. 7 May 2010.

Barnett, Sloan. "Green Goes with Everything." New York: Atria Books, 2008.Print

Black, Rosemary. “Bisphenol A, or BPA, Found in Common Plastics,Can Cause
Hyperactivity Aggression in Kids: Study.” Daily News. Daily News, 7 Oct. 2009.Web.7 May 2010.

Boyles, Salynn. “Report: Some Bottled Water Not So Pure.” WebMD. 15 Oct. 2008. WebMD.LLC. Web. 14 April 2010.

Bumiller, Elisabeth. “3 Sickened After Drinking Bottled Water.” New York Times 14 Sept. 2000. B 1 ProQuest. Historical Newspapers. Web. 7 April 2010.

Byron, Katy.“Pepsi says Aquafina is tap water.” CNNMoney.com.Cable NewsNetwork.27 July 2007. Web. 7 April 2010.

Chart 1: “Bacterial Growth in Two Bottled Waters.” Natural Resources Defense Council.1990.Web 7 April 2010. http://www.nrdc.org/water/drinking/bw/chap3.asp

Clarke,Tony."Inside the Bottle: Exposing the Bottled Water Industry".Ottawa,Ontario: Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, 2007. Print

Cullota, Karen Ann.“Chicago Bans Bottles With BPA Plastic.”The New York Times.The New York Times,13 May 2009. Web. 7 May 2010.

Stossel,John.“Is Bottled Water Better Than Tap?” 20/20.ABC.WABC,New York.6 May 2005. Television.

Zhang, Jane. “Home & Family: More Scrutiny Urged for Bottled Water.”Wall Street Journal 9 July 2009. D 2 ProQuest. Web. 7 April 2010.