A new report from the Environmental Working Group, a public health watchdog organization, says that in the 10 brands of bottled water they tested contaminant levels in some samples exceeded industry and state standards. The group is concerned that fertilizer residue, disinfection byproducts, and even pain medication is leaching into our sources for bottled water. The group advocates drinking tap water over bottled water because tap water suppliers must provide information to consumers regarding contaminants, filtration techniques, and source water, whereas bottled water companies do not. EWG says, “Consumers should drink filtered tap water instead of bottled water. Americans pay an average of two-tenths of a cent per gallon to drink water from the tap. A carbon filter at the tap or in a pitcher costs a manageable $0.31 per gallon (12 times lower than the typical cost of bottled water), and removes many of the contaminants found in public tap water supplies.” Full story.
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Tags: bottled, chemicals, environment, pesticide, tap, water
Dr. Steven Chang, the author of DailyDose, is a staff physician with Kosmix RightHealth. Dr. Chang practices Family Medicine at the University of California Davis Medical Center, where his medical interests include both pediatric and geriatric care, public health, gay and lesbian health, and sleep medicine. Dr. Chang trained at the Stanford University affiliated O'Connor Hospital, and was a research fellow at the National Institute of Health. He holds an M.D. from McGill University and a BA in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.