The Environmental and Health Hazards of Bottled Water A Presentation for Neumann Association By Ken Vick MPH Student Walden University PUBH 6165-3 Dr Raymond Thron Spring 2009 Welcome to a presentation on the environmental and health hazards of using bottled water. My name is Ken Vick.

In this Presentation You will: Understand the ecological effect that discarded plastic bottles have on the environment Understand the possible health consequences of reusing plastic bottles Understand the economic considerations of using bottled water Understand the environmental benefits of reducing plastic bottle use In this presentation you will learn to understand the ecological effects that discarded plastic bottles have on the environment, understand the possible health consequences of re-using plastic bottles, understand the economic considerations of using bottled water, and understand the environmental benefits of reducing plastic bottle use.

Why Cut down on Using Bottled Water? The Natural Resources Defense Council The Sierra Club World Wildlife Fund Have all urged their supporters to consume less bottled water due to the environmental impact of plastic bottles Several organizations have started initiatives to reduce the use of bottled water worldwide in order to reduce the amount of plastic which enters landfills and oceans.

Bottled Water is the Second Most Consumed Beverage in the U. S Bottled Water is the Second Most Consumed Beverage in the U.S. Today After Soft Drinks In 2007 U.S. consumption reached 8.8 billion gallons or 29 gallons per person The U.S is the largest consumer market for bottled water in the world Many people cite the convenience, taste, and safety of bottled water as reasons for increasing their consumption but few have considered the environmental and health impact that bottled water could have *Statistics taken from Banerjee (2008) Bottled water consumption is at an all-time high and growing. The problem is primarily with the environmental impact that plastic production and plastic disposal has on the environment.

About 25% of the U.S. bottled water is actually purified municipal water (tap water) Both Aquafina (PepsiCo) and Dasani (Coca-Cola) originate from municipal water systems About 75% of bottled water does come from other sources including underground water systems, rivers, lakes, springs, and artesian wells but their purity can be disputed according to the NRDC *From the NRDC About 25% of bottled water is actually tap water from municipal sources. This is a high percentage. According to the NRDC many local water bottling companies are not bound by the same FDA standards if they are shipping within the state they were sourced. This creates a lack of accountability for water companies.

Primary Concern is the Environmental Impact of Plastic In the U.S. alone about 1.5 million barrels of oil are consumed in making the bottles Most bottles end up in landfills (80%) The plastic making process releases toxins such as nickel, ethylbenzene, ethylene oxide, and benzene into the environment World-wide, 2.7 million tons of plastic is made for the bottled water industry every year It is projected to take 1000 years for a plastic bottle to biodegrade in a landfill While buried in a landfill it may leak toxic additives into groundwater *From NRDC The resources used in plastic production are incredible and wind up in landfills where they may leach into groundwater. The toxins released into the atmosphere from plastic production is concerning.

Regulation is Minimal In the U.S. bottled water is regulated by the FDA but according to the NRDC: Exact sources are often difficult to ascertain from the label Allowable amounts of contaminants are not published Some harsh chemicals are used in the cleaning of filtration equipment by many companies In 1999 a Natural Resources Defense Council study reported that the purity of some bottled water can be disputed *From http://www.nrdc.org/water/drinking/bw/exesum.asp While these statements may make consumers feel safer about bottled water there are certainly holes in these regulations. According to the NRDC the FDA bottled water regulation program as well as state regulation programs need to be better funded. State programs should also be subject to the same strict limits.

1999 Study by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) This report states that there are major gaps in bottled water regulation Bottled water is not necessarily safer than tap water Some bottled water contained bacterial contaminants Several brands contained synthetic organic chemicals (solvents, chemicals from plastics, & trihalomethanes) Some contained inorganic contaminants such as arsenic Filtration equipment is often cleaned with propylalcohol which is highly toxic and cannot be completely filtered out of water According to the 1999 study by the NRDC there were an alarming number of contaminants found in bottled water, albeit in only a small percentage of one fifth of one fourth. This is still of concern. Another concern is what companies are using to clean their equipment which can enter the water they are distributing.

Concerns around Shipping and Storage Bottled water often gets heated during shipping or storage which may cause chemicals to leach from the plastic container into the water Most bottled water is shipped from other parts of the country and may contain herbicides, pesticides, lead, and PCBs Bottled water should not be directly exposed to sunlight due to the possible break down of the plastic *From http://www.nrdc.org/water/drinking/bw/exesum.asp There are numerous concerns about storage and shipping of plastic products. They should never become heated, exposed directly to sunlight, and should have their source clearly stated on the bottle along with the date bottled.

Plastics Also Pollute the Oceans Plastics travel through sewer systems and end up in oceans where they break up into smaller and lighter particles which kill more than 1 million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals every year *Moeller (2005) According to Moeller (2005) the consequences of disposing so much plastic into the environment is that it winds up in the oceans where it breaks down into lighter, finer particles that then enter the food chain. They also absorb toxins on their way through the eco-system.

Reusing Plastic Bottles can Pose a health Hazard Risk of bacterial infection if the interior is not washed with warm soapy water and completely dried in between uses Possibility of chemicals leaching from the bottle into the water Clear Nalgene water bottles shown to contain trace amounts of BPA A plastic bottle should only be reused a few times (if at all) *From Bottled Water Basics (retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/safewater/faq/pdfs According to the NRDC plastic must be cleaned properly for re-use. Many people are not aware of this requirement. Also, many plastics should not be re-used more than a few times or they begin to break down into small particles and leach into drinking water. According to a study conducted Nalgene water bottles are especially hazerdous. Nalgene is popular hiker’s water bottle.

Economic Considerations Bottled water is 240 to 10,000 times more expensive than tap water Far more cost effective to invest in an effective water filtering system for home and office along with reusable glasses and cups Saving on the cost associated with the production, storage, and transportation of water products *From http://www.nrdc.org/water/drinking/bw/exesum.asp The economic cost of consuming so much bottled water is astounding according to the NRDC. An organization such as our can save a great deal of money by switching to a high-quality private water filtering system instead of purchasing individually bottled water.

Quality Water Filtration Systems Are Available which are cost-effective Numerous quality home and office water filtration systems are available for a fraction of the cost of purchasing bottled water (including distilled water, tap filters, pitcher filters, ozonated water, etc.) There are numerous home and office water filtration systems available on the market and many of you know of at least 2. Here are just some ideas to break the bottled water habit.

Stop Using Bottled Water for 21 Days Invitation to participate in this national program through: Refraining from using all bottled water Invest in a proven water filtration system for home and office along with getting re-washable glass cups Register at www.nobottled water21days.com A group of students from Bethel University in Minnesota have started this campaign entitled “no bottled water for 21 days” with the hopes of reducing the amount of plastic bottles that end up in landfills worldwide. They chose 21 days because that is the amount of time it takes to “develop a new habit”. They further state that it is their goal to promote reusable containers as the norm.