|
Bottled water has
contaminants, study finds By JEFF DONN, AP National
Writer Wed Oct 15, 12:17 AM ET Tests on leading brands of
bottled water turned up a variety of contaminants often found in tap
water, according to a study released Wednesday by an environmental
advocacy group. The findings challenge the
popular impression — and marketing pitch — that bottled water is
purer than tap water, the researchers say. However, all the brands met
federal health standards for drinking water. Two violated a California
state standard, the study said. An industry group branded
the findings "alarmist." Joe Doss, president of the
International Bottled Water Association, said the study is based on the
faulty premise that a contaminant is a health concern "even if it
does not exceed the established regulatory limit or no standard has been
set." The study's lab tests on 10
brands of bottled water detected 38 chemicals including bacteria,
caffeine, the pain reliever acetaminophen, fertilizer, solvents,
plastic-making chemicals and the radioactive element strontium. Though
some probably came from tap water that some companies use for their
bottled water, other contaminants probably leached from plastic bottles,
the researchers said. "In some cases, it
appears bottled water is no less polluted than tap water and, at 1,900
times the cost, consumers should expect better," said Jane Houlihan,
an environmental engineer who co-authored the study. The two-year study was done
by the Washington-based Environmental Working Group, an organization
founded by scientists that advocates stricter regulation. It found the
contaminants in bottled water purchased in nine states and Washington,
D.C. Researchers tested one
batch for each of 10 brands. Eight did not have contaminants high enough
to warrant further testing. But two brands did, so more tests were done
and those revealed chlorine byproducts above California's standard, the
group reported. The researchers identified those two brands as Sam's
Choice sold by Wal-Mart and Acadia of Giant Food supermarkets. In the Wal-Mart and Giant
Food bottled water, the highest concentration of chlorine byproducts,
known as trihalomethanes, was over 35 parts per billion. California's
limit is 10 parts per billion or less, and the industry's International
Bottled Water Association makes 10 its voluntary guideline. The federal
limit is 80. Wal-Mart said its own
studies did not turn up illegal levels of contaminants. Giant Food
officials released a statement asserting that Acadia meets all
regulatory standards. Acadia is sold in the mid-Atlantic states, so it
isn't held to California's standard. In most places, bottled water must
meet roughly the same federal standards as tap water. The researchers also said
the Wal-Mart brand was five times California's limit for one particular
chlorine byproduct, bromodichloromethane. The environmental group wants
Wal-Mart to label its bottles in California with a warning because the
chlorine-based contaminants have been linked with cancer. It has filed a
notice of intent to sue. Wal-Mart spokeswoman
Shannon Frederick said the company was "puzzled" by the
findings because testing by suppliers and another lab had detected no
"reportable amounts" of such contaminants. She said Wal-Mart
would investigate further but defended the quality of its bottled water. The researchers recommend
that people worried about water contaminants drink tap water with a
carbon filter.
|