Water Contamination, Tap Water Vs Expensive Bottled Water

It would be assumed that it would be the least that bottled water companies could do is make sure that all pollutants are out of the water. “Alas, some bottled waters contain the same chemicals anyway- and they are, in any case, unavoidable”. (Standage, 663). It is said that contaminants are more likely to build up when it is transported in very hot conditions. (Diduch, Polkowska, and Namiesnik). “The presence of organic contaminants in water is becoming a more common problem, mainly because of the impact that human activities are having on the natural environment”. (Diduch, Polkowska, and Namiesnik). It is clear that it takes a lot of work to remove all contaminants from water. One slight error is all it takes for someone to be contaminated by harsh chemicals or bacteria. “The plastic components or additives in water can modify the organoleptic properties and, if present at high concentrations, may trigger health problems because of the potential toxic properties of some chemicals”. (Diduch, Polkowska, and Namiesnik).

Seventy percent of the human body is comprised of water. This makes drinking water quality vital. The EPA estimates the average adult consumes 1.2 liters daily or 115 gallons of community (tap) water daily while the average consumption of bottled water per capita in the U.S. is in excess of 30.8 gallons per year and is expected to continue to increase according to the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) and the Beverage Marketing Association’s 2013 report. Bottled water costs anywhere from 240 to 10,000 times more per gallon than the average cost of tap, but people’s perception that bottled water is purer, safer or healthier is driven, in part, by strong bottled water marketing campaigns that focus on news reports about crises that involve municipal water supplies. (NRDC, “Bottled Water Pure Drink or Pure Hype”) The sources for both tap and bottled waters as well as additives to either enrich or neutralize contents of water determine the mineral and chemical composition of drinking water. Is bottled water really any purer or healthier than local tap water?

The controversy of bottled water verse tap water can be argued on both sides. However, tap water is the better alternative in the long run. Some may say there is a distinct taste difference between the two, yet most can't tell. In a college classroom, a group of students completed an experiment where they tasted a variety of waters: Great Value, Zephyrhills, and tap water. Most students guessed incorrectly, not tasting a difference (Combass). Although people have concerns with tap water, it is the most convenient. Not only is tap water cheaper, it is the safest source that positively impacts our environment.

Doctors are always telling us to drink more water to improve our health, but what if that water is contaminated by a potentially toxic chemical? When it comes to our drinking water in America, compared to other countries around the world, there is usually no concern in becoming ill after consuming a nice, big glass of tap water. The reason you don’t question the quality is because of the regulations in place by US Environmental protection Agency (EPA) for public drinking water. But now we are foreseeing issues with our drinking water due to chemicals used in items such as food packaging materials (such as pizza boxes and popcorn bags), fabrics, nonstick cooking pans and firefighting foams (Scutti). As a result of their inhabitance, the chemicals

In the online article, “How does Pollution Affect Humans” by The World Counts, “Breathing polluted air puts you at a higher risk for asthma and other respiratory diseases. When exposed to ground ozone for 6 to 7 hours, scientific evidence shows that healthy people’s lungs function decreased and they suffered from respiratory inflammation” (The World Counts par. 4 ). THose are just some of the health problems that pollution causes This information matters to me because it shows that bottled water not only affects the Earth by causing pollution, but that pollution also causes health problems. Not only does it affect the Earth by causing pollution, but bottled water can directly affect you. According to the online article “Bottled Water vs. Tap Water: Rethink What You Drink” by Priscilla Torres, “The EPA regulates tap water, while the FDA oversees bottled. Yet FDA oversight doesn’t apply to water packaged and sold within the same state, leaving some 60 to 70 percent of bottled water, including the contents of watercooler jugs, free of FDA regulation” (Torres pg. 2 par.5). This matters to me because it means if every student in the Natomas district drank from bottled water, some of their water might contain chemicals because it wasn’t checked. Chemicals are definitely a threat because Torres continues to say, “Scientists in Germany found that the longer a bottle of water sits around (in a store, in your home), the more antimony it develops. High concentrations of antimony can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea”(Torres pg. 3 par. 7). This information is important because it shows that just keeping water bottles for a long period of time can cause many health problems. If every student had to drink bottled water, they would constantly be getting sick and spreading their sickness to other students. So, bottled water causes many health problems, through pollution, and because there may be

Water Quality & Contamination Abstract My report was based on how ground water may be affected by many containments present in our surroundings. I believed that all of the water samples would have been contaminated once mixed with the soil. As I predicted vinegar filtered through the soil and came out fairly clean.

much more prevalent, as well as prominent in the arena of social and political debate.

Currently there are 475 bottled water plants in the United States produce over 600 types of water. The students in the Enc1101 class did an experiment where they taste tested three different types of water and tried to guess which one was which. The students then recorded what they thought about each one such as taste and smell. A majority of the class guessed wrong, at least twice, but this experiment was successful because it gave the students a first hand experience taste testing the water.

Since its inception, bottled water has been a commonplace use by people on the go, but is it as valuable as people think? There have been numerous of concerns as to whether bottled water is safer than tap water. In addition to the questions of safety, bottled water can be extravagant in comparison to tap water and there are even alternative options for people on the go such as refillable bottles. In the Susan Casey essay “Our Oceans Are Turning into Plastic … Are You?” she describes the potential dangers of excessive use of plastic on our earth, especially the impact on the oceans. To further add another dimension to Casey’s argument, Andrea Fuller wrote an article for The New York Times “Quality of Bottled Water Questioned in Congress”, which

Tap water and bottled water are used in peoples lives daily. Yet, barely anybody seems to care for the difference between the two. The quality, price, accessibility and many other aspects areover looked in the decision for tap or bottled water. Another topic that seems to be shoved under the rug is the safety of tap water in the United States. But from investigative information it proves that there is no problem with drinking tap water in the United States.

There are articles, flyers, and even books out in the market that try to persuade people to either use bottled water or tap water. While many believe that tap water is more beneficial to the body, others believe that the convenience and advertising of purified bottled water is acceptable enough for themselves. As we consume water, we concern ourselves with issues such as if it is harmful to the environment, if it is harmful to our health and whether the product is convenient for us. Ultimately, the choice is personal because both sides provide pros and cons to these issues.

It is very common for research groups to set up a "bottled water taste test". The results are always the same: without a label, there is no obvious difference among any kind of bottled water or even tap water. Yet millions of Americans routinely buy bottled water and re-filter their tap water. The Clean Water Act of 1972 was supposed to ensure all water sources were pure and safe for drinking or swimming. Enforcement simply did not go far enough, and public information on contaminants grew much faster than purification programs did. A series of laws followed the 1972 Act in

Drinking water filtration systems are quickly rising in popularity as purified water has become big business. Water filters are everywhere, and they come in all sizes, from filters for one gallon to those cleaning water for an entire house. The bottled water market is growing as people concerned about the safety of the water they drink trust water companies to provide them with the service of drinking water filtration and a filtered product that's worth the price. However, it has been proven that tap water, particularly in cities, is full of contaminants that are not healthy to consume. But bottled drinking water is not the solution to the problem of contamination. The industry is not well-regulated, and most bottled water is no healthier than

For the purpose of this paper three experiments were conducted; the objectives of these three experiments were to determine the quality and characterization between drinking water, bottled and tap. These experiments will help determine the effectiveness and ability to remove contaminates from affected water. Questions are presented concerning the quality of bottled water vs tap water, and the monetary worth of purchasing bottled water for human

When it comes to the topic of safety of Tap water or Bottled water, most of us or the Food and Drug Administration or the Environmental Protection Agency enthusiast will readily agree that “without a doubt, we have a drinking water system that’s the envy of the world,” that “it’s an urban myth that Bottled water is safer than Tap Water.” Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of whether Bottled Water or Tap Water is safe for consumption. But the truth remains that “some