Sale on canvas prints! Use code ABCXYZ at checkout for a special discount!
The documentary Tapped examines the role of the bottled water industry and its effects on our health, climate change, pollution, and our reliance on oil.
Is bottled water "pure"?
As documented in the film, six different bottled waters were tested in two independent labs. They were also sent to Toxicology Inc., for an independent analysis. Among the contaminants found were Vinyl Chloride, Butadane, Benzyne, and Styrine. In off-the-shelf bottle samples, Toluene was found. Toluene is a constituent of gasoline, a neurotoxic agent, found in paint thinners, and linked to adverse reproductive outcomes. In bottle samples left in a car trunk of a car for one week, Styrene, a cancer causing agent was found. Styrene also causes adverse reproductive effects. In addition, three different types of Phthalates were found. Phthalates can cause dysfunction, particularly in the fetus, as well as adverse reproductive outcomes for both males and females.
How is this possible?
Bottled water companies are not required to disclose their findings of any contaminants in the water they sell you. They can get away with this because they largely produce and sell in state to avoid the interstate jurisdiction of the FDA.
In contrast, every city provides a public water quality report that you can access online. The EPA holds each municipality to a set of standards that must be met. Cities must test many times a day to ensure the quality of the water.
Plastic water jugs
You might also be surprised to know that plastic water jugs have been found to leach Bisphenal-A (BPA), one of the most potent chemicals known to man. BPA is linked to childhood diabetes, obesity, breast cancer, prostate cancer, diabetes, brain disorders (attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity disorder), liver disease, ovarian disease, disease of the uterus, and low sperm count in men. The EPA has found that even low dose exposure can cause problems related to male reproductive development.
Since plastic bottles are so widely distributed, it's easy to assume that one person's choice to not consume water from a plastic bottle won't make a difference. But the aggregate of millions of educated consumers making these choices can make a big impact. Additionally, voicing your concerns to elected officials can make a difference.
New possibilities
New biodegradable plastic resins offer exciting possibilities for improvement in packaging. This corn-based plastic decomposes in 45 days, provided it has a composting environment that reaches 140 degrees for ten consecutive days. Clearly this is not your average back yard. That said, it takes up to two years to degrade with exposure to natural elements, a far cry from the 1000 years of conventional PET plastic.
Impact on Wildlife
Plastics are often found to be the cause of death for sea turtles and whales, for example. Teeny bits of plastic are mistaken for food and wreak havoc on the digestive system.
Sadly, plastic bags are also often mistaken for the seaweed and jellyfish that sea turtles consume. These petroleum based non biodegradable bags are as deadly to the turtle as they are ubiquitous in our daily lives. They are also increasingly found as the cause of death through blockage of the digestive system, cutting short the sometimes 80 year lives of these creatures.
