1. Environmental Health Factors of Bottled Water
Kristie Driver Owoyemi MPH student
Walden University
PUBH
Instructor: Stephen Arnold
October 2010
Today I will be discussing the environmental health factors of bottled water which will include it’s association with waste, the quality of the water in bottles, current regulations pertaining to it’s manufacturing, and the possible risks associated with plastic exposure. I will also help answer the question “is bottled water safer than tap water?” This bottled water phenomenon has been caused by the belief of health conscious consumers that bottled water has some advantage over the water that comes from our kitchen faucets. I am hoping that this presentation will bring awareness to our friends and families that bottled water may be no safer or healthier than tap water, it may be contaminated with harmful chemicals, and the multitude of plastic bottles being used has been associated with unnecessary waste and may contain potentially hazardous chemicals. Everyone I’m speaking to is either a current consumer of bottled water or knows someone who is plagued by the thought that bottled water is “good for you.” Upon conclusion of this presentation if I can get one individual to understand and spread the word of the harmful environmental factors associated with drinking this “safer water”, we can help put an end to this waste and the possibility of people becoming sick because the lack of rules an regulations associated to it’s production.

2. Why Do We Drink Bottled Water?
More than half of all Americans drink bottled water; about a third of the public consumes it regularly.
more than 700 brands of water produced worldwide
Americans spent $10.6 billion on bottled water in 2009.
Consumers pay up to 1,000 times the cost of tap water.
Many believe bottled water to be better regulated, purer, or safer than most tap water.
Reference
Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). (2010). Bottled Water- Pure Drink or Pure Hype? Retrieved October 21, 2010 from
One might ask oneself, “why do we drink bottled water?” Bottled water is currently the fastest growing drink choice in the United States, and Americans are spending billions of dollars annually to buy it. Bottled water, which was once unheard of, is now so popular there are more than 700 brands of water produced worldwide. Studies obtained from the Natural Resources Defense Council show that more than half of all Americans drink bottled water and over the past 10 years bottled water sales have tripled to approximately $10.6 billion spent in When we buy bottled water we’re paying up to 1,000 times the cost of tap water and studies from 2009 showed that almost half of all bottled water came from municipal tap water supplies. This is the same place the water from our kitchen faucets come from. There are a few questions that one must ask oneself. Are the increase in sales due to an inaccurate portrayal in ads that the bottle water you’re drinking is more pure and safer that the water that comes from your tap? Are there rules and regulations in treatment that pertain to tap water but not bottled water?

3. Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
NRDC completed a four-year study of the bottled water industry which included:
gathering information on bacterial and chemical contamination problems
researching sources of bottled water
determining bottled water safety
comparing FDA's bottled water rules with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules that apply to tap water
Reference
Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). (2010). Bottled Water- Pure Drink or Pure Hype? Retrieved October 21, 2010 from
The NRDC recently completed a four-year study of the bottled water industry to help answer these questions. In this study they included findings of bacterial and chemical contamination problems that have been linked to bottled water. They aimed to uncover the true sources of the water contained in bottled water and if the water was indeed safe. They also went further to compare the FDA's current bottled water rules and standards versus the Environmental Protection Agencies rules that apply to the tap water supplied by public water systems.

4. Regulations on Bottled Water
FDA's rules completely exempt percent of the bottled water sold in the United States.
FDA also exempts "carbonated water," "seltzer," and many other waters sold in bottles from its bottled water standards.
Some bottled waters covered by FDA's specific bottled water standards have weaker rules than EPA rules applied to big city tap water.
FDA says bottled water is a low priority.
Reference
Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). (2010). Bottled Water- Pure Drink or Pure Hype? Retrieved October 21, 2010 from
So what did the NRDC find when they compared the FDA's bottled water rules with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencies rules that apply to tap water? They discovered that percent of the bottled water sold in the U.S. are exempt from the FDA’s rules, because the FDA says its rules do not apply to water packaged and sold within the same state. This also applies to other waters sold in bottles such as carbonated and seltzer water which must abide by only vague general sanitation rules that have no set specific contamination limits. It was further found that even those bottled waters that are covered by FDA's specific bottled water standards often have rules that are weaker than EPA rules that apply to big city tap water. For example, city tap water must be free of any confirmed E. coli or fecal coliform bacteria, which this rule does not apply to bottled water. Another example is that city tap water from surface water must be filtered and disinfected or other protective measures must be followed for the source of water it uses to eliminate potentially polluted water sources, however, there are no federal filtration or disinfection requirements for bottled water, but only those few provisions that are delegated at the discretion of the state. The NRDC discusses how FDA and state bottled water programs are very underfunded and the FDA considers bottled water to be of low priority. The agency estimates the bottled water industry has the equivalent of fewer than one staff person dedicated to developing and issuing bottled water rules compared to the hundreds of federal staff dedicated to tap water regulations.

5. Marketing Bottled Water
Designed to convince the public of bottled water's purity and safety, and capitalizing on public concern about tap water quality.
misleading implications of sources of water
Is “spring water” really “spring water?”
Approximately one fourth of bottled water is bottled tap water.
Reference
Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). (2010). Bottled Water- Pure Drink or Pure Hype? Retrieved October 21, 2010 from
Findings obtained from the NRDC study found that people spend from 240 to over 10,000 times more per gallon for bottled water than they typically do for tap water which is partially due to marketing that is aimed at causing public concern about the quality of tap water. They also found some marketing to be misleading, for example a type of bottled water that was labeled as “spring water” was actually being retrieved from a well in an industrial facility's parking lot, located by a hazardous waste dump that was periodically contaminated with industrial chemicals at levels above FDA standards. So then is this “spring water” really “spring water?” According to the government about one fourth of all bottled water is simply bottled tap water which may or may not include additional treatments. In this case you and I could make bottled water by filling bottles from our household tap and just adding attractive labels.

6. Quality of Bottled Water
Environmental Working Group (EWG) Bottled Water Quality Investigation 2008
10 major brands tested, 38 pollutants found
Walmart and Giant Brands No Different than Tap Water
Contained chemical signature of standard municipal water treatment.
Broad Range of Pollutants Found in all 10 Brands
Disinfectants, pharmaceuticals, heavy metals and minerals, fertilizers, etc.
Reference
Naidenko, O., Leiba, N., Sharp, R., Houlihan, J. (2008). Bottled Water Quality Investigation: 10 Major Brands, 38 Pollutants. Environmental Working Group (EWG). Retrieved November 11, 2010 from
Now that we know that we can’t always believe what the labels say on our bottled water, I will now briefly discuss a research study performed in 2008 by the Environmental Working Group or EWG that tested for pollutants bottled water. Laboratory tests conducted for EWG at one of the country’s leading water quality laboratories found that 10 popular brands of bottled water, purchased from grocery stores and other retailers in 9 states and the District of Columbia, contained 38 chemical pollutants. Two of 10 brands tested, Walmart's and Giant's store brands, bore the chemical signature of standard municipal water treatment which includes a cocktail of chlorine disinfection byproducts, and for Giant water, even fluoride. In other words, this bottled water was chemically indistinguishable from tap water with the only difference being the price tag. Altogether, the analyses conducted by the University of Iowa Hygienic Laboratory of these 10 brands of bottled water revealed a wide range of pollutants, including not only disinfection byproducts, but also common urban wastewater pollutants like caffeine and pharmaceuticals such as Tylenol; heavy metals and minerals including arsenic and radioactive isotopes; fertilizer residue containing nitrates and ammonia; and a broad range of other, tentatively identified industrial chemicals used as solvents, plasticizers, viscosity decreasing agents, and propellants. Does this sound like the quality of water you would want your family to drink?

7. Bottled Water is Bad for the Environment
1.5 million tons of plastic per year
Increased fossil fuel usage
80% of plastic bottles is thrown away
Risk to marine life
Reference
Food&WaterWatch.org (FWW). (2010). Bottled Water Costs Consumers and the Environment. Retrieved October 24, 2010 from
Now I will discuss how the increased production of bottled water affects our environment. According to data obtained by Food and Water Watch, bottled water produces up to 1.5 million tons of plastic waste per year and this plastic requires up to 47 million gallons of oil per year to produce, which is equivalent to the amount used to fuel 1.5 million cars for a year. While the plastic used to make bottled water is of high quality and in demand by recyclers, still over 80 percent of these plastic bottles are simply thrown away ending up in our lakes, streams and oceans, where they represent a great risk to marine life, killing birds and fish which mistake our garbage for food. Due to the slow decay rate of plastic bottles, the vast majority of all plastics ever produced still exist somewhere is the world today.

8. What’s In Your Plastic Bottle?
Most plastics are made from petroleum and can contain many other chemicals that are not labeled but can be toxic to animals and humans.
Phthalates:
Di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) Di-isononyl phthalate (DINP)
Diethyl phthalate (DEP) Dibutyl phthalate (DBP)
Benzylbutyl phthalate (BzBP) Dicylohexyl phthalate (DCHP)
Di-n-octyl phthalate (DOP)
Reference
Mosko, S. (2004). Plastics and Human Health. Earth Resource Foundation. Retrieved October 22,
2010 from
Now we must ask ourselves, what is in those plastic bottles that we drink out of everyday? Most people are unaware that most plastics are made from petroleum and that these plastics can also contain other chemicals that are not labeled but can be toxic to animals and humans. Studies have shown that some on these toxins are building up in humans causing some of us to experience serious health effects. Phthalates are chemicals commonly added to plastics to make them soft or flexible. I have listed a few of the scientific names of various phthalates to give an example of some of the components that make up these phthalates. I have presented some research based facts associated with phthalate use on the next few slides.

9. Facts About Phthalates?
migrate easily out of plastic because not chemically bound
Cross the placental barrier, allowing prenatal exposure
Di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) is most abundantly used
2 million tons produced in 1999 alone
classified as a probable human carcinogen by US EPA
Some U.S. plastic wrap manufacturers have removed phthalates voluntarily.
Reference
Mosko, S. (2004). Plastics and Human Health. Earth Resource Foundation. Retrieved October 22,
2010 from
Phthalates are able to easily migrate out of plastics because it is not chemically bound allowing it to found in the water contained in water bottles. Research has shown that phthalates are able to cross the placental barrier allowing prenatal exposure and DEHP, the most widely used phthalate, has been classified as a probable human carcinogen by the EPA. Due to research showing the toxic effects of phthalates on humans and animals, some U.S. plastic wrap manufacturers have removed phthalates from their products.

10. Facts About Phthalates cont….
Scientists have linked various phthalates to abnormal health effects including:
abnormal male sexual development
Male infertility
Premature breast development
Cancer
Miscarriage and premature birth
California passed a law in 2003 listing DEHP as a reproductive toxin
Reference
Mosko, S. (2004). Plastics and Human Health. Earth Resource Foundation. Retrieved October 22,
2010 from
Many studies have shown that various phthalates, including DEHP, are hormone disruptors with estrogenic or anti-androgenic actions and carcinogenic in some studies. These hormonal disruptors have linked phthalates to abnormal male sexual development and infertility, premature breast development, cancer, and miscarriages and premature births due to it’s ability to cross the placental barrier. In 2003 the state of California was the first state and remains the only state to pass a law listing the phthalate DEHP as a reproductive toxin, requiring products containing DEHP as containing a reproductive toxin.

11. Regulations On Tap Water
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have set drinking water standards.
Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) of 1974
regulates the nation’s public drinking water supply
protects sources of drinking water
National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWRs)
Limits the levels of contaminants in drinking water
Reference
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2005). Bottled Water Basics. Water & Health Series pp Retrieved October 23, 2010 from
Many people consume bottled because they think their household tap water is unsafe. What they may not be aware of are the various rules and regulations that ensure the public that their tap water is in fact safe to drink. To make sure that all water is safe to drink, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration set drinking water standards. The EPA sets standards for tap water provided by public water suppliers and the FDA sets standards for bottled water based on EPA standards. Both bottled water and tap water are safe to drink if they meet these standards, however, people with severely weakened immune systems or other health conditions may wish to treat their water further at home or purchase high quality bottled water. Congress passed the Safe Drinking Water Act, also called SDWA, which was developed by the EPA in 1974 to protect public health by regulating the nation’s public drinking water supply and also protecting the sources of drinking water. The National Primary Drinking Water Regulations, also referred to as primary standards, are enforceable standards that apply to public water systems. These primary standards protect the public by limiting the levels of contaminants in drinking water.

12. Is Your Tap Water Safe?
Contaminants can enter water supplies either as a result of human and animal activities.
Contaminants can also occur naturally in the environment.
Examples of contamination:
Microbial contamination
Chemical contamination from fertilizers
Lead contamination
Reference
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (2009). Water on Tap: What You Need To Know. Pp Retrieved October 24, 2010 from
So you ask, “what chemicals are in my tap water?” Contaminants are able to enter our tap water as either a result of human and animals activities, or because they are naturally occurring in the environment. These contaminants could be as a result of activities taking place right in your neighborhood or from events happening miles away. Some typical examples of contamination are microbial, chemical contamination from fertilizers, and lead contamination.

13. Is Your Tap Water Safe?
Tap water can contain at least small amounts of some contaminants.
Magnesium and calcium
Flavor
Essential to body
Potentially harmful at high levels
Contaminates such as pesticides or bacteria from human wastes can cause adverse effects.
Reference
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2005). Bottled Water Basics. Water & Health Series pp Retrieved October 23, 2010 from
It can also be reasonably expected that tap water can contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of these contaminants does not necessarily mean that the water is harmful to your health. For example, minerals such as magnesium and calcium give water it’s distinctive flavor, and are also essential to the body. However, these minerals at high levels as well as other contaminants, such as pesticides or microbes from human wastes, can cause adverse effects or illness.

14. How To Protect Yourself
To bring bottled water up to the standards of tap water the EWG recommends:
Eliminating current double standard.
Disclosure of test results for contaminants.
Disclosure of treatment techniques.
Disclosure of location of water source.
Reference
Naidenko, O., Leiba, N., Sharp, R., Houlihan, J. (2008). Bottled Water Quality Investigation: 10 Major Brands, 38 Pollutants. Environmental Working Group (EWG). Retrieved November 11, 2010 from
So what can you do to make sure that the water, either tap or bottled, that is consumed by your family is safe? The Environmental Working Group has developed recommendations they deem necessary to bring bottled water up to the standards of tap water. They first bring to our attention the current double standard that exist where tap water suppliers provide information to consumers on contaminants, filtration techniques, and source water; bottled water companies do not. The EWG explains that this double standard must be eliminated immediately and bottled water should have to conform to the same right-to-know standards as tap water. They also list other recommendations that should be followed by bottled water manufacturers which includes full disclosure of all test results for all contaminants in a way that is readily available to the public, disclosure of all treatment techniques used to purify the water, and clear and specific disclosure of the name and location of the source water.

15. Other Recommendations
To ensure that public health and the environment are protected, the EWG recommends:
Increased protection of rivers, streams, and groundwater
Improving source water protection programs
Drink filtered tap water instead of bottled water
Install whole-house carbon filter
Reference
Naidenko, O., Leiba, N., Sharp, R., Houlihan, J. (2008). Bottled Water Quality Investigation: 10 Major Brands, 38 Pollutants. Environmental Working Group (EWG). Retrieved November 11, 2010 from
The Environmental Working Group has also listed recommendations that will ensure that both public health and the environment are protected. They first recommend that federal, state, and local policymakers strengthen the protection of rivers, streams, and groundwater that serve as America’s drinking water sources. Even though it is not necessarily any healthier, some Americans turn to bottled water in part because they distrust the quality of their tap water which can sometimes be for good reason. Some drinking water both tap and bottled is grossly polluted at its source. A 2005 EWG study found nearly 300 contaminants in drinking water all across the country. The EWG insists that source water protection programs must be improved, implemented, and enforced nationwide. The environmental impacts associated with bottled water production and distribution also aggravate the nation's water quality problems rather than contributing to their solution therefore, the EWG recommends that consumers drink filtered tap water instead of bottled water. Americans pay an average of two-tenths of a cent per gallon to drink water from the tap. Simply adding a carbon filter at the tap or in a pitcher costs a manageable $0.31 per gallon, and removes many of the contaminants found in public tap water supplies. Products such as “whole-house” carbon filters strip out chemicals not only from drinking water, but also from water used in the shower, washing machines and dishwashers where they can enter into the air for families to breathe in. For an average four-person household, the cost for this system is about $0.25 per person per day. A single gallon of bottled water costs 15 times this amount.

16. Thank You
In closing I would like to say that some people drink bottled water as an alternative to other beverages while others drink it because they prefer its taste or think it is safer than their tap water. I hope that this presentation was able to give you a better understanding of the environmental factors associated with bottled water consumption and how it’s continued use will result in further waste and potential adverse health effects. I have provided you with information on bottled waters association with waste, the quality of the water in bottles, current regulations pertaining to it’s manufacturing, possible risks associated with plastic exposure, and healthier, cheaper alternatives to drinking bottled water. I hope that you will share this information with your friends and family or anyone you know to be an avid bottled water drinker, in an attempt to spread awareness of how something that we consume everyday is resulting in lasting effects on our environment and possibly our health.

17. References
Food&WaterWatch.org (FWW). (2010). Bottled Water Costs Consumers and the Environment. Retrieved October 24, 2010 from
Mosko, S. (2004). Plastics and Human Health. Earth Resource Foundation. Retrieved October 22, 2010 from
Naidenko, O., Leiba, N., Sharp, R., Houlihan, J. (2008). Bottled Water Quality Investigation: 10 Major Brands, 38 Pollutants. Environmental Working Group (EWG). Retrieved November 11, 2010 from
Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). (2010). Bottled Water- Pure Drink or Pure Hype? Retrieved October 21, 2010 from
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (2005). Bottled Water Basics. Water & Health Series pp Retrieved October 23, 2010 from
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (2009). Water on Tap: What You Need To Know. Pp Retrieved October 24, 2010 from

18. Suggested Readings
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (2010). Drinking Water Contaminants: National Primary Drinking Water Regulations. Retrieved October 24, 2010 from
Westerhoff P, Prapaipong P, Shock E, Hillaireau A. (2008). Antimony Leaching From Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Plastic Used for Bottled Drinking Water. Water Res. 42(3) Retrieved October 22, 2010 from