Experts Warn "Tap Water Over Bottled Water"... Risk Alert

"Humans Must Drink Tap Water for Earth's Health"

Health experts have issued warnings that bottled water is much worse for health than tap water. They urged campaigns to increase tap water consumption to reduce reliance on bottled water.

Albert B. Lowenfels, Professor Emeritus at New York Medical College, USA, and Amit Abraham's team from Weill Cornell Medicine in Qatar warned in a commentary published on the 25th (local time) in the global medical journal British Medical Journal that "the use of bottled water must be urgently reconsidered for the health of humans and the planet."

Plastic water bottle. [Image source=Pixabay]

The research team pointed out that while 2 billion people worldwide who have difficulty securing drinking water rely on bottled water, the rest mostly drink bottled water due to convenience or marketing claims that "bottled water is safer than tap water." However, the team explained that bottled water is not subject to the strict quality and safety standards applied to tap water. There is also a risk that harmful chemicals can leach from plastic bottles when exposed to sunlight and high temperatures.

The team revealed that 10-78% of bottled water samples analyzed so far contained various contaminants classified as hormone-disrupting substances, such as microplastics, phthalates, and bisphenol A (BPA). Microplastics have been reported to be associated with stress, immune system regulation disorders, and blood lipid levels, and are directly linked to health problems in old age such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity.

It also affects the global environment. Bottled water bottles account for 12% of all plastic waste and are ranked as the second most common marine pollutant. Globally, only 9% of plastic bottles are recycled.

The research team stated, "Reliance on bottled water causes significant health, financial, and environmental costs," and urged that "a reassessment of bottled water use is urgent, and the environmental protection and health benefits of tap water should be promoted to establish sustainable consumption practices."

They added, "Through policies prioritizing tap water consumption, various problems caused by bottled water can be jointly addressed, and tap water can be established as a foundation for environmental responsibility and public health promotion," emphasizing that governments, including those in low- and middle-income countries, must invest in safe drinking water infrastructure.