When we are away from home and thirsty, we are used to buying a bottle of water to drink. The bottled water gives us the impression that it is clean and convenient, especially the high-grade bottled water flaunts itself as "innocent" and "never polluted by human beings". For example, "King Yu Yun" is produced in Tasmania, Australia, where it claims to have the "cleanest air" in the world, and the rain is naturally clean. BC 10000 originated from the glaciers along the coast of British Columbia, Canada, and is known as "the oldest water source on earth". The water quality is purer. However, scientists point out that plastic bottled water may also be "unclean".
William Shodick, a British chemical researcher, said that there are hidden dangers of pollution in the production of plastic bottles containing drinking water, because compounds containing antimony are used as catalysts in the bottle-making process. With the molding of plastic bottles, antimony also enters the plastic. Plastic bottles may continue to dissolve heavy metal antimony into the water in the bottle. This element may be harmful to health if it accumulates in the body for a long time. William Shodick carried out chemical tests on five kinds of local 15 popular bottled water, and found that the antimony content in natural groundwater was one trillion, while the average antimony content in bottled water just left the factory was 160 trillion. The longer the time, the greater the amount of antimony dissolved in water in plastic bottles, just like making tea. Three months after leaving the factory, the antimony content in bottled water doubled. However, the shelf life of most bottled water packages on the market is 24 months. In addition, the higher the temperature, the greater the amount of antimony dissolved in water, and summer is the season when people have high demand for bottled water. Xiao Dike said that although the intake of very small amounts of antimony will not make people sick, it will induce vomiting and even death.
Michelle, a researcher at Harvard University in the United States, found that many plastic bottles are processed with a chemical called bisphenol a”(BPA). This chemical is associated with high risks of birth defects, developmental problems, heart disease and diabetes. Experts are worried about its possible impact on human health, and some countries have officially listed it as a toxic substance.
In addition, Dutch researchers found that bottled mineral water is often contaminated by bacteria and fungi. The risk of contaminated bottled mineral water to healthy individuals may be limited, but it is higher for patients with low immune function and infants.
⑤ Nick Reeves, executive chairman of the British Water and Environment Management Association, also said that the pollution of bottled water to the environment can not be ignored. Every year, 2.7 million tons of plastics are used to make plastic bottles in the world, and most of the raw materials of these plastics are extracted from petroleum. In the United States alone, it takes 65.438+0.5 million barrels of oil to make these plastic bottles. This oil can be used by 654.38 million cars for one year. 86% of plastic water bottles eventually become garbage, and it takes 400 to 1000 years to degrade. These plastic wastes will produce toxic gases and ashes containing heavy metals when burned.