Not only are single use plastic and plastic drinking bottles dangerous for you, but they also play critical role in plastic pollution and many other environmental issues. There are numerous health risks that drinking from plastic water bottles entails, and it is not ideal for the environment either.
The consumption of bottled water has been rising sharply in recent years globally which has 3500 times more harmful impact on the environment, as per a new study.
Major Findings of Study:
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As we know the consumption of bottled water has been rising strongly in recent years on a global level, due to the perceived presence of chemical compounds in tap water. Recent study, conducted by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), was focused at delivering objective data about 3 different water consumption choices (in the city of Barcelona):Bottled water, Tap water & Filtered Tap Water.
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“While it is true that tap water may contain trihalomethanes (THM) derived from the disinfection process and that THMs are associated with bladder cancer, our study shows that due to the high quality of the tap water in Barcelona, the risk for health is small, especially when we take into account the overall impacts of bottled water,” ISGlobal Researcher Cristina Villanueva said.
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The findings, published in the Journal ' Science of the Total Environment' highlighted that if the entire population of Barcelona decided to shift to bottled water, the production needed would take a toll of 1.43 species lost yearly and cost $83.9 million per year due to the regular extraction of raw materials.
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Study revealed that bottled water has about 1400 times more impact on ecosystems and 3500 times more cost of resource extraction compared to the scenario where the entire population would shift to tap water, as per researchers.
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Moreover, the results highlights that a complete shift to tap water would raise the overall number of years of life lost in the city of Barcelona to 309. By adding domestic filtration to tap water would decrease that risk significantly, reducing the total number of years of life lost to 36. But domestic filtering devices need proper maintenance for optimal performance and to avoid microbial proliferation.
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“Our results show that considering both the environmental and the health effects, tap water is a better option than bottled water, because bottled water generates a wider range of impacts,” ISGlobal Researcher Cathryn Tonne said.
Dangerous Effects of Plastic Water Bottles on Health:
Previous year, a study done by the State University of New York revealed that there are excessive levels of micro-plastics in bottled water, especially in popular brands. Moreover, also highlighted that bottle water samples also contains mold, benzene, microbes, and in some cases, arsenic too. Lets discuss possible health impacts:
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Mold is a type of fungus responsible for several health issues including throat, coughing, eye irritation, and allergic reactions that may impact the respiratory system, inflate asthma and lead to other immune-related conditions.
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E. Coli exposure creates numerous gastrointestinal problems, vomiting, diarrhea, as well as fatigue and headaches.
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Benzene is classified as a human carcinogen having a long-term impact on the blood. It can cause a reduction in RBCs, negatively impact the immune system, and at high levels, can cause dizziness, vomiting, and Rapid Heart Rate
Impact on Environment:
A million plastic bottles are bought every minute around the globe and the number will boost further 20% by 2021, making an environmental crisis, some activists predict that it will be as serious as climate change. This leads to some of the following concerns:
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Landfills are overflowing, demanding large amounts of fossil fuel for production.
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Leading to the destruction of habitats and wildlife due to the covering of ocean surface.
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Importing waters from abroad needs trucks for transportation and delivery, which has a detrimental environmental impact.
What needs to be Done?
There's need to be more drinking facilities with extra convenience so that people are inspired to reuse plastic bottles rather than throw them away. We all are learning about the harmful effects of plastic and there're big steps to go in making a real difference on the ground. If you are not already fully shifted, we hope we’ve inspired you to try some new & more environmentally friendly products and we’d love it if you would consider some of our own.
Say No to Bottled Water!!
