Risks Of Bottled Water Consumption

There is still a definitely scarcity of water in the world; people are scared to drink water directly from any source. Also bottled water normally claims to be 100% pure and free from bacteria and other hazardous substances. We believe this to be the truth and accept it without giving it another thought.

Pure bottled water has become one of the biggest business segments to emerge in many developing countries. In most developing countries, people are catching on with the bottled water craze as being fit and safe to drink as opposed to any form of tap water. Various studies indicate that over half of Americans drink bottled water. Unfortunately, most Americans spend more on bottled water than tap water based on a misconception that the former is safer than the latter.

The Actual Truth about Bottled Water

Most of the water bottles come from municipal sources and is treated before it is bottled. Bottled water generally undergoes various forms of treatment. The most popular method is through distillation in which the water is turned in to vapor so that the minerals which are too heavy to vaporize are left behind before the vapors are condensed into water again. The other method is reverse osmosis in which the water is forced through membranes for removing minerals and absolute one micron filtration, where the water is sent through filters for removal of particles that are sized more than a micron. However, a treatment that almost every company uses is the ionization treatment. In this form of treatment, ozone gas is sent through the water for disinfestations. But the bottled water is expensive than the tap water as it cost around 240 to 10,000 times more than the tap water.

Still it is very popular because it is perceived to be comparatively of higher quality and safer than the tap water. Many people drink bottled water as a healthy alternative to alcohol and soft drinks. Most bottled water does not contain chlorine and other harmful chemicals except when the bottled water has been taken from a well or a spring. An increasing number of people prefer bottled water because it is being marketed convincingly about its properties such as clarity, lightness, salt free, sweetener free and health friendly. Thus, the main reason for increased use of the bottled water is because of the powerful marketing and advertising strategies. These strategies have shaped the perspective of the customers that bottled water alone is 100% safe to drink.

With this information, be aware of the risks of bottled water and take a logical decision so that it doesn't endanger your health.