Doctors are urging people to reconsider their preference for bottled water over tap water.
Research shows that up to 80 percent of bottled water currently on the market contains microplastics and other substances linked to cancer, fertility problems, developmental delays in children and metabolic disorders such as diabetes.
Meanwhile, tap water in developed countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom is much safer to drink as it is subject to “rigorous quality and safety standards,” the Qatari doctors said.
Plastic bottles leach chemicals, such as PFAS and phthalates, into water, which have been linked to cancers, developmental delays, fertility problems and more.
Discarded bottles can also indirectly harm our health by leaching “perennial” toxic chemicals into soil and water, poisoning animals and reaching our food.
In an article published in the prestigious journal BMJ Global Health, they conclude that, contrary to popular belief, the safest option is tap water.
According to the International Bottled Water Association, Americans drink about 15 billion gallons of bottled water each year, about 45 gallons per person.
The doctors, from Weill Cornell Medicine in Qatar, also highlighted how the process of purchasing, disposing of or recycling plastic bottled water also leads to the release of methane and greenhouse gases that fuel global warming.
In the article, they state: “Reliance on bottled water entails significant health, financial and environmental costs, necessitating an urgent re-evaluation of its widespread use.”
EPA standards for tap water are stricter than FDA standards for bottled water.
An estimated 10 to 78 percent of bottled water sampled contains microplastics — particles smaller than five millimeters — that damage the body’s endocrine system, which regulates human hormones, potentially leading to fertility problems, developmental delays and ovarian cancer.
They can also inflame cells in the lungs and digestive tract, which can lead to chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma, irritable bowel syndrome or inflammatory bowel disease, chronic heart disease, and hardening of the arteries.
Nanoplastics found in bottled water have been shown to disrupt the body’s hormone production system, potentially increasing the risks of cancer and metabolic disorders such as diabetes and overactive thyroid.
Bottled water also releases PFAS, or forever chemicals, into the water. When PFAS enter the body, they are deposited in the bloodstream, kidneys, and liver.
A 2007 estimate from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention puts the total percentage of Americans with PFAS in their blood at a staggering 98 percent.
Some varieties of PFAS have been shown to increase LDL levels or “bad” cholesterol that contributes to plaque buildup in the arteries, slowly blocking blood flow in the arteries, greatly increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, heart attack and stroke.
Long-term exposure to PFAS, which is not outside the realm of possibility given their constant presence in homes, It can seriously damage the liver..
Bottled water also contains phthalates (used to make plastics more durable) and bisphenol A (BPA).
Phthalates and BPA are also hormone disruptors and have been linked to breast cancer, diabetes, reproductive and developmental problems, heart disease and chronic respiratory problems, behavioral problems and ADHD in children.
Qatari doctors said: “While short-term safety thresholds exist, the long-term effects of these pollutants remain largely unknown.”
The Environmental Working Group, a watchdog, analyzed 10 brands of bottled water produced by supermarkets Walmart and Giant and discovered 38 different pollutantsincluding disinfection byproducts, industrial chemicals, radioactivity and bacteria.
Some of the chemicals detected have been linked to health problems, including cancer and methemoglobinemia (also known as blue baby syndrome). Two brands tested even had a chemical profile identical to municipal tap water, making them indistinguishable from regular tap water.
This was not the first analysis to find problems with bottled water. Texas scientists tested 35 brands of bottled water and found that four were contaminated with bacteria. And in 1999, the Natural Resources Defense Council tested 103 bottled waters and found contaminants such as microbes and regulated chemicals in about half.