Danger of Drinking Water from Plastic Bottles

BPA is an acronym that stands for bisphenol A. It is an industrial chemical used in plastics for more than 50 years—plastics such as water bottles. While plastics have their utility in modern life, the danger of using them is that chemicals like BPA have a tendency to seep out of the plastics and into the food or water contained by the plastics (Bauer). This is all the more worrisome because BPA can have adverse health effects. Though there are no known deaths directly correlated with drinking bottled water, chemicals such as BPA cause damage eventually that can lead to terminal illnesses such as cancer.
It does not take much exposure to chemicals from plastics used to contain drinking water for the harmful effects to occur. Numerous studies have shown that chemicals like BPA are hazardous. Mariah Blake of Mother Jones reports that a 2012 study “by 12 prominent scientists found ‘substantial evidence’ that hormone-altering chemicals are damaging, even at minute doses. BPA, the most studied estrogen-mimicking compound, has been linked to a long list of maladies, including to asthma, cancer, infertility, low sperm count, heart disease, liver problems, and ADHD.” The fact that these chemicals are commonly found in bottled water bottles is bad enough for the imbiber of the water—but it’s actually worse: “In some cases, the effects appear to be handed down, meaning the chemical reprograms an individual’s genes and causes disease in future generations” (Blake). In other words, entire future generations can be harmed by these chemicals. Thus, what gets sold to the public as a good thing—pure water from natural springs—is actually harmful because of the agents in the plastic bottles themselves.
While BPA has not been linked directly to cancer, it can harm the body in ways that can then make cancer more likely to occur (Blake). In other words, drinking water from bottles that contain harmful chemicals like BPA increases one’s risk of getting cancer. Of course, it also increases the risk of infertility, heart disease, and possible genetic disorders for one’s children. There is not much good that can be said about a container that essentially has poison in it. Why would anyone drink water from a cup that has soaked in poison? Yet this is one what effectively does when one drinks water from a plastic bottle.
Because BPA and other chemicals in plastics used in bottled water can harm the body and potentially lead to the development of cancer or other terminal defects, plastic bottles should be avoided whenever possible. Those who do not want to drink water out of the tap for fear of the chemicals in it might worry that now they have no good alternatives—but this is not true. There are actually many ways to get around the dangers of bottled water and the chemicals in the tap. For instance, one can use a water filter either on the home water system, on the tap itself, or on a pitcher or water container that filters the harmful chemicals contained in drinking water from the tap. Filters are a good and effective way to prevent chemicals from going into the body. Another alternative is to use reusable containers, such as glass containers or steel containers for one’s drinking water.
Another option is to purchase bottled water that does not contain BPA in its plastics. Some bottled water suppliers are up front with their customers and have switched to using plastics that do not contain BPA. As more public outcry over the dangers of BPA emerge, more and more bottle manufacturers are switching up their methods (Blake); however, one should not assume that just because no BPA is used in the bottle that the bottle is safe. Other harmful chemicals exist in plastics that can also seep into the water, as Blake shows. The safest course of action is to avoid drinking bottled water altogether. Plastics should not mix with foods or beverages because the chemicals inside can seriously harm the body. The chemicals are not safely contained in the plastics themselves. They seep out, and invade the substances that are meant to be safe for individual consumption.
In conclusion, bottled water may seem like a good idea, but the unfortunate reality is that it contains harmful chemicals like BPA that can seep into the water and injure not only the body of the drinker but also future spawn of the individual. The chemicals are so powerful that they can damage one’s genetic material, which is passed on to future generations through procreation. Therefore, one should avoid bottled water at all costs. It is dangerous to one’s health—just as driving on an icy road at night without snow tires, headlights or seat belts is likely to be hazardous to one’s health too. In order to be safe, one should be informed—and the studies show that BPA is a harmful chemical agent that does seep out of the plastic containers and into the beverage contained by the plastic. If one is looking to drink water, there are plenty of other, safer ways to do it. Try filters or reusable glass or steel containers. Or find a supplier who uses plastic bottles that are BPA-free. Just be warned: just because no BPA is in the bottle doesn’t mean there are not other harmful chemicals inside.

Works Cited
Bauer, Brent. “What is BPA, and what are the concerns about BPA?” Mayo Clinic, 11
Mar 2016. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/bpa/faq-20058331
Blake, Mariah. “These Popular Plastic Bottles May Be Messing with Your Hormones.”
Mother Jones, 16 Jun 2014. http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/06/bpa-free-plastics-tritan-nalgene-dangerous/