Is Plastic Leaking Into Your Bottled Water?

Bottled water is a popular option. It’s easy to carry a bottle with you, you can sip from it at any time, and you know that it has been tested. The water inside the bottle will be the same as when it was tested, it’s not always possible to say this about tap water.

There is little doubt that bottled water is popular, approximately 15 billion gallons of it were sold in the US alone in 2020.

However, not all bottled water is as safe as it may seem. Recently, there have been studies showing plastic is present in bottled water.

Plastic Leaching

Studies into plastic in water show a wide array of findings. Some of the bottles tested had no plastic in them while others had a significant quantity. Even more strange was when bottles from the same pack were tested and some contained no plastic while others had thousands of particles. 

The reason this happens is that plastic is a relatively unstable substance, especially when it is made in thin sheets to make bottles lighter and easier to dispose of.

Because of this instability the plastic in the bottle can leach into the water, all it takes is an increase in temperature or for the bottle to be sat long enough, everything breaks down over time, even plastic. 

This is the most likely reason why some bottled water has plastic and some don’t. Bottles with plastic in have been exposed to higher levels of heat than the others.

Eliminating The Risk

You probably don’t have the equipment or the time to test every bottled water you drink and it’s too convenient to give up entirely. Fortunately, there is another way in which you can reduce the risk. 

• Invest In A Filter

The most effective filtration system is reverse osmosis. This has been shown to remove all microplastics, making it more effective than carbon filters. It should be noted that some water dispensers incorporate these filters, making these RO water dispensers the most efficient way to have water handy whenever you need it.

The RO filter can be used with a dispenser or your tap water, rendering it safe to drink. It could be used with tap water but this simply increases the price unnecessarily. 

• Get A Refillable Bottle

This only works in conjunction with tap water, ideally that has been filtered to ensure chemicals and other contaminants have been removed. If you invest in a refillable bottle and pour bottled water into it you don’t know if the water already has plastic in it or not; Again, it would need to be filtered.

The good thing about refillable bottles is they are made of thicker, more stable plastic, or ideally glass. This dramatically reduces or eliminates the likelihood of plastic getting into the water.

At the moment it’s not known what effect plastic in the human bloodstream will have. However, it isn’t naturally there which suggests that it’s not a desirable ingredient in your blood. Investing in a filter and refillable bottle will help you look after your health. It’s that easy.