An expose on pharmaceuticals in your drinking water. No oversight exists and no significant studies have been conducted on this severe and possibly toxic problem.
The Water Bottle Lie and Your Health
Those five-gallon water cooler jugs are made from a chemical called Bisphenol A (BPA), which was originally developed as a synthetic estrogen. Exposure to BPA has been linked to breast and prostate cancer, reproductive failures, heart disease, cognitive and behavioral problems, diabetes, obesity and asthma. A study commissioned by the Centers for Disease Control in 2007 showed that 93 percent of Americans have BPA in their urine. More recent studies are even scarier suggesting that BPA stays in the body longer than previously believed and that babies and young children may be particularly vulnerable because they may metabolize BPA more slowly than adults.
Bottled Water Toxicity Shown To Exceed Law
Bottled water brands do not always maintain the consistency of quality touted in ads featuring alpine peaks and crystalline lakes and, in some cases, contain toxic byproducts that exceed state safety standards, tests show. The Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit organization with offices in Oakland, tested 10 brands of bottled water and found that Wal-Mart’s Sam’s Choice contained chemical levels that exceeded legal limits in California and the voluntary standards adopted by the industry. The tests discovered an average of eight contaminants in each brand. Four brands besides Wal-Mart’s also were contaminated with bacteria. The environmental group filed a notice of intent to sue Wal-Mart Tuesday, alleging that the mega-chain failed to warn the public of illegal concentrations of trihalomethanes, which are cancer-causing chemicals.
FDA Proposes Improved Testing Of Bottled Water
A report by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) in October found bottled water is no better than tap water (and often worse). Now, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), proposes improved testing of bottled water to detect bacteria. Every year consumers receive annual test results regarding any contaminants found in tap water, but the bottled water industry is not required to disclose its findings. Independent tests conducted by EWG, in October, found 10 popular brands of bottled water contained 38 chemical pollutants, with an average of 8 contaminants in each brand. More than one-third of the chemicals found are not regulated in bottled water. NATIONAL TAP WATER DATABASE
Walker News Desk 