Bottled water is often thought to be a safer option than tap water. After all, it’s filtered and generally free from contaminants like lead, agricultural chemicals, and industrial pollutants that municipal systems might miss.
However, recent lab tests have revealed that spending more on bottled water doesn’t necessarily mean it’s purer. Research commissioned by the consumer watchdog app Oasis Health found concerning amounts of plastic-derived ‘forever chemicals’ in various bottled water brands, including both affordable options like Deer Park and premium choices such as Essentia and Topo Chico.
These chemicals, known for their water- and stain-repelling properties, are often found lining plastic bottles and their caps to prevent leaks. They are byproducts of plastic manufacturing and can linger in the environment—and in our bodies—for decades, if not longer.
Over time, these substances accumulate, seeping into our water and food supplies. When PFAS build up in body tissues, they can disrupt vital biological functions. This might interfere with hormone balance, hinder the removal of bad cholesterol, increase cancer-related inflammation, and, in the case of pregnant women, disturb fetal development, potentially leading to future learning and growth issues.
While many opt for glass bottles to dodge these toxins, tests reveal that even water in glass containers isn’t immune to PFAS contamination, which can occur during purification, storage, or filtering through plastic systems.
The EPA has set a PFAS exposure limit of 0.4 parts per trillion (ppt), with many experts suggesting a more protective guideline of 0.1 ppt.
Oasis analysts evaluated thousands of bottled water brands, including popular ones like SmartWater and Dasani. They used a comprehensive scoring system, where a product starts with a base score out of 100, but penalties are applied for risks like contaminants, while transparency can earn bonuses. This ranking helps consumers identify the health safety of different products.
Interestingly, analysts didn’t always specify which forever chemicals were present in each bottle. PFAS includes hundreds of molecules, each with unique risks, making it tricky to assess potential dangers when selecting bottled water.
For example, PFOA, a specific kind of PFAS, is linked to serious health issues like kidney and testicular cancer. Another type, PFOS, is associated with thyroid problems and liver damage. Some of the worst-performing brands showed PFAS concentrations around 0.2 ppt—twice the level considered safe by environmental scientists.
Of particular concern were Topo Chico and Perrier, with PFAS levels of 3.9 ppt and 1.7 ppt, respectively, which far exceed the recommended safe limits. Deer Park was not far behind, at 1.21 ppt. Others, like Essentia and Aquafina, also registered around 0.2 ppt.
On a more positive note, Fiji water was one of the few to not surpass safe PFAS levels, though it did test positive for arsenic, slightly exceeding the EPA’s health advisory threshold for one of the most toxic PFAS compounds.
Perrier, in particular, showed alarming amounts of HFPO-DA, a common substitute for PFOA, known to raise concerns about various health risks, including potential carcinogenic effects.
Public health experts argue that there may be no safe level of exposure to these toxic substances, largely due to their persistence and ability to accumulate in the body. As scientific studies link harmful effects to smaller and smaller amounts of PFAS, current ‘safe’ legal limits often feel outdated as soon as they’re established.
Indeed, the EPA’s guidelines for PFOA have drastically dropped from 400 ppt in 2009 to 70 ppt in 2016, with some states now enforcing limits as challenging as 0.1 ppt. This tightening doesn’t even account for thousands of other PFAS compounds; research indicates that over 200 million Americans likely have PFAS in their tap water.
