A widespread reliance on bottled water is posing significant threats to both human health and the environment, with an estimated 1 million bottles bought every minute worldwide.This alarming figure is expected to increase as demand continues to grow, warn health experts in a new commentary published in BMJ Global Health.While around 2 billion people worldwide rely on bottled water due to limited access to safe drinking water, for the majority, its use is a matter of convenience, according to researchers from Weill Cornell Medicine in Qatar.This trend has been fueled by marketing campaigns that promote bottled water as being safer and healthier than tap water-claims the researchers say are misleading.Indeed, up to two-thirds of bottled water in the U.S.
is simply repackaged tap water, the authors noted, and recent studies have found cancer causing-chemicals in bottled water in the San Francisco Bay Area. "The widespread use of bottled water contributes significantly to pollution; it exposes people to potentially harmful contaminants and also contributes to greenhouse gas emissions," lead author Amit Abraham told Newsweek.Harmful chemicals from plastic bottles, such as bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates, can leach into the water, the researchers said, especially when bottles are exposed to sunlight or high temperatures for extended periods.
Studies have found contaminants, including microplastics, in up to 78 percent of bottled water samples.Microplastic contamination has been associated with a range of health issues, including oxidative stress, immune system disruption, and changes in blood fat levels.
Exposure to BPA, a chemical commonly found in plastics, has been linked to long-term health risks such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity."While there are short-term safety thresholds, the long-term effects of these contaminants remain largely unknown," the authors wrote, adding that microplastics can also enter the food chain through bottled water consumption.