For millions of Americans seeking alternative health resources to drinking tap water, bottled water may seem like a safe choice.
However, a new study raises questions about the purity of some leading brands of bottled water, which were found to contain a variety of contaminants.
Research undertaken by the Environmental Working Group tested 10 commonly sold brands of water. Of these, two types were discovered to be “chemically indistinguishable from tap water,” the report stated.
One brand bought in California, Wal-Marts Sams Choice, contained disinfection byproducts that exceeded the states limit, the EWG said. Meanwhile, it found this brand to also contain excess levels of a chemical called bromodichloromethane, which has been linked to cancer.
Across all of the bottled waters tested, the team uncovered evidence of 38 pollutants such as pharmaceuticals, caffeine, arsenic, radioactive isotopes, fertilizer residue and industrial chemicals.
In conclusion, the report stated that its findings indicate “bottled water can contain complex mixtures of industrial chemicals never tested for safety and may be no cleaner than tap water.”
Responding to the claims, the International Bottled Water Association noted that the study does not contain “a representative sample” of bottled water products or prove that they could be damaging to a persons health.