There is no need to talk about how vital water is. As Mankind evolved, the civilisations that drastically changed the world were on the banks of rivers. And over years our lifestyle have changed radically. Everything is “on the go” nowadays. In our busy lifestyle, we are not much aware of the dangers of bottled drinking water. Let us discuss how safe is that bottle of water you bought from the store is.
You might have seen a “Low Sodium” sticker in almost every water bottles. According to WHO, 20 mg/l is permissible. Many manufacturers claim an amount much less than this. But tests are done later by independent laboratories only to find that they exceed more than the amount they claim. Sodium salts are found in virtually all foods. A person with effective kidney can cope up with this. But while adding up a day’s intake we will have to worry. Another issue is the storage. Even if you bought raw spring water it will be in a plastic container. Plastic not only poses a threat to your health but also degrades our environment.
The BPA (Bisphenol A) content in the plastic bottles can even make you infertile, behavioural problems are associated with this chemical content and also a chance for diabetes. Researchers have revealed that an altered immune system might be the result of daily usage of plastic containers. Phthalates are used to make PVC more flexible. And this chemical is known to affect the liver. If your bottle is directly exposed to sunlight for a while BPA leaches into your water.
Another thing that we should keep in mind while buying a bottle of water is that 25 percent of bottled water is just tap water. Yes. Manufacturers just radiate or treats it with UV before selling it to you. Most of them are still packed with those contaminants that you are trying to avoid. Some of the big companies have agreed on this too. So chances are there that we might be drinking just glorified tap water. The re-used plastic bottles are more dangerous than the normal one. The U.S’s recycling rate for plastic is 23%. And 38 billion water bottles are dumped each year. That much amount of plastic has something serious to do with our environment
Although we cannot completely avoid bottled drinking water,next time packing up your backpack you can consider bottling water in steel containers from home. And It will be a wise choice to pick raw spring water if you are forced to buy water.
