Scientists found that bottled water has 3,500 times the impact on natural resources than tap water.
This Research It is the first of its kind and has studied the impact of bottled water in Barcelona. Although the quality of tap water has improved in recent years, bottled water has become more and more popular in Barcelona.
Research by Barcelona The Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) found that if the city’s population all drank bottled water, the cost of resource extraction would be 3,500 times higher than the cost of all of them drinking tap water, at US$83.9 million (£60.3 million) per year.
Researchers also found that the impact of bottled water on the ecosystem is 1,400 times that of tap water.
The authors concluded that the reduced environmental impact not only offsets the small risk of bladder cancer associated with drinking tap water. The process of processing drinking water produces low levels of trihalomethane (THM), which is associated with a higher risk of bladder cancer. The level of THM in drinking water is regulated in the European Union.
The study’s lead author and ISGlobal researcher Cristina Villanueva said: “Health reasons do not justify the widespread use of bottled water. Yes, strictly speaking, drinking tap water is bad for local health, but When you weigh the two, the benefits of drinking bottled water are minimal. Obviously, bottled water has a greater impact on the environment than tap water.”
In the U.S, 17 million barrels of oil Plastics need to be produced to meet the annual demand for bottled water.In addition, bottled water in the UK is at least 500 times more expensive Than tap water.
Villanueva added: “I think this research will help reduce the consumption of bottled water, but we need more active policies to change this situation.
“For example, in Barcelona, we can carry out more educational activities to make the public realize that the health benefits of drinking bottled water are insignificant compared to the environmental impact. We need to improve the use of public water, public fountains and public buildings, There you can bring your own water bottle without buying it. We need to facilitate public water use on public streets.
“People trust bottled water because advertisers have done a good job of convincing people that this is a good choice, so we need another effort.”
