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According to The World Bank, the water bottle market is at $800 billion dollars. Although people think they are drinking fresh, pure water, there have been more than 100 recalls because of contamination issues.
What Your Really Drinking
Research has shown that dangerous compounds can seep from the plastic into your water. Third-party testing revealed traces of chemicals, fluoride, bacteria, and endocrine disruptors like BPA and PETE(PET).
BPA is a synthetic chemical that hinder's the body’s natural hormonal messaging system. Research has also shown that reusing plastic bottles increases the chance that chemicals will leach out of the bottle.
Just How Harmful Are These Chemicals?
BPA, also known as bisphenol A is a chemical compound that can mimic estrogen levels in the body. Tests have shown that this chemical can encourage human breast cancer cell growth. It may also lead to heart disease, diabetes, and liver problems.
BPA has also been shown to cause thyroid problems by not allowing the thyroid hormone, T3, to reach the DNA 1. This can cause what you call hypothyroidism.
BPA May Also Be Called:
- Lexan
- Polycarbonate
- Polysulfone
How to Minimize Exposure:
- Avoid plastic bottles, containers, and liners.
- Do not microwave in plastic bowls
- Get a water distiller
- Drink water out of stainless steel or glass jars
Little known facts about bottled water:
- Every 27 hours Americans drink enough water bottles to circle the entire equator with plastic bottles stacked end to end.
- While plastic bottles can be recycled, the majority are not. Moreover, plastic never actually degrades; it just breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces. In some parts of the ocean, plastic outweighs plankton by a six-to-one ratio (Moore 2001).
- Close to half of all bottled water is sourced from municipal tap water (BMC 2010, Food and Water Watch 2010).
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