Estrogen found in water bottles

For many years scientists and health organizations have been concerned over the possibilities of toxins leaking from bottles into the drinks they contain. Now a new study offers proof that many brands of bottled mineral water are at an increased risk for the presence of estrogen. Published in the March issue of Environmental and Pollution Research, this study is among the first to directly link food packaging to the accumulation of dangerous chemicals in living bodies.

The paper entitled Endocrine disruptors in bottled mineral water: total estrogenic burden and migration from plastic bottles was published by Martin Wagner and Jörg Oehlmann who looked at 20 German brands of packaged water, including 9 brands packaged in plastic, 9 packaged in glass and 2 packaged in plastic lined cardboard. The water was tested in vitro for estrogenic compounds, and it was discovered that many of these products did indeed have the presence of these chemicals, 60% overall. Most of these chemicals were found in the plastic water bottles, although the glass bottles were not totally exempt.

The water was tested further by growing snails that are highly reactive to estrogens in the bottles, which were then tested for raised levels of estrogen. The unsettling results show that many more embryos than would be otherwise expected, a nearly 100% increase, were discovered in the plastic water bottles. A slight increase was also found in the glass bottles. In addition to the presence of hormones in mineral water, this study also indicates that there may be further chemicals that leak from food packaging that we are currently unaware of.

Thinking Further

 The chemicals legislation passed by the European Union, REACH, requires companies to disclose what chemicals are in their products, and this includes the water bottling industry. See the new Take Action! section of Chemical’s Health Monitor for more information on how to contact your preferred brands and learn exactly what sorts of chemicals you are being exposed to.

  “See our newest leaflet on dangerous chemical’s in the products you use every day. This leaflet entitled "Harmful chemicals in products you buy? Your right to know."- explains the new consumer ‘right to know’: how you can use it to make better consumer choices, to influence companies to make safer products, and to encourage regulators to improve the REACH chemicals law. The leaflet gives a model letter consumers can use, and resources for further reading and taking action. It is available in several languages.

 A strongly implemented REACH also will identify which chemicals are the most dangerous to consumers and need to be regulated. The civil society and Trade Unions have already shown their concerns and published their lists of substances which fulfil criteria of substances of very high concern.

Better Public Health: The REACH SIN List 1.0

European Trade Union Confederation releases list of priority chemicals