Most people intuitively know about the environmental and financial benefits of replacing bottled water with reusable stainless steel water bottles. Many, however, don’t know about the water quality benefits of using reusable canteens.
The water in plastic bottles may harbor toxic chemicals
It’s generally assumed that bottled water is better than tap water. Actually, many times it is tap water. Pepsi’s Aquafina is taken from municipal water supplies. Dasani, a Coca Cola product, is tap water that’s had minerals like magnesium sulfate and potassium chloride added to it. In the United Kingdom, Dasani had to be recalled due to contamination with bromate, a suspected carcinogen, produced by the treatment process used on the water.
Even if the water is pure going into the plastic water bottle, it may not be pure coming out. When certain plastics are exposed to warm temperatures, chemicals from the plastic may leach into the container’s contents. Small amounts of chemicals from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) water bottles such as antimony – a toxin in large doses – can accumulate when water is stored in a hot garage or car trunk.
In a 4-year study that tested 1,000 bottles of plastic water, the National Resources Defense Council found that about 22% of the brands tested contained chemical contaminants at levels above state health limits.
On the other hand, if you refill your stainless steel water bottle with municipal tap water, then you can be sure it meets strict national and local water quality standards going into the bottle as well as coming out. Food-grade stainless steel will not leach dangerous chemicals into the beverage.
Tags: Aquafina, bottled water, Dasani, plastic water bottles, reusable water bottles, stainless steel water bottles, tap water, water quality