It made the headline this week: High levels of arsenic found in bottled water of major brands. According to CEH, the Center for Environmental Health, legal notices were sent to manufacturers and retailers for failing to warn Californian consumers of the high arsenic levels in their bottled water, and failure to comply with Californian Prop 65.
What had happened?
In recent years, bottled water had gained popularity, not least because it is considered safer and healthier than tap water. According to the International Bottled Water Association, in 2012, each American drank 117 liters (30.8 gallons) of bottled water that year. The market value was 11.8 billion USD, with a healthy 6.7% increase from the previous year. Brands like Keurig Dr. Peppers Peñafil and Whole Foods Starkey waters surged in popularity.
Recently, CEH sent water samples from these and other brands to an independent laboratory for analysis. The levels of arsenic found in the two aforementioned brands exceeded the FDA-set limit of 10 ppb.
Where does Arsenic occur and why is it dangerous?
Arsenic belongs to the group of heavy metals, which also include Cadmium, Lead and Mercury. According to some, Napoleon had been poisoned with Arsenic. But Arsenic also is a component of some pesticides, which had been used for wood preservation and on golf courses. Today, only monosodium methanearsonate, a broadleaf weed herbicide containing arsenic is used on cotton.
According to the European Commission, there are several food categories known to contribute to the human exposure to arsenic: grain-based processed products such as wheat bread, rice, milk and dairy products, vegetables, especially algae, and drinking water.
With regards to the effects of arsenic, the European Commission states: “The main adverse effects reported to be associated with long term ingestion of inorganic arsenic in humans are: skin lesions, cancer, developmental toxicity, neurotoxicity, cardiovascular diseases, abnormal glucose metabolism, and diabetes. There is emerging evidence of negative impacts on foetal and infant development, particularly reduced birth weight.”
The results of a study published earlier this year suggests that the continuous intake of arsenic (e.g. from drinking water) increases the risk of cardiovascular disease especially for young adults.
And like US FDA, the European Commission set a level of 10 ppb for arsenic in drinking water to protect its consumers. However, some consumer watchdogs propose an even lower limit of 3 ppb.
Can Arsenic be removed from drinking water?
The short answer is – yes. Several technologies are available to lower arsenic levels in drinking water. Principal technologies achieving this can be grouped into the following categories: oxidation, coagulation, ion exchange, adsorption and membrane technologies. However, any of these technologies will inevitably add to the cost of bottled water manufacturing.
Were the high Arsenic Levels reported by CEH a new discovery?
Not at all. The higher than permitted levels of arsenic in drinking water had already been reported by consumer watchdog CR (Consumer Reports) in April of this year. According to information released under the Freedom of Information Act, FDA knew about the high arsenic levels as early as 2013.
What happens next?
On Friday, June 21, Keurig Dr. Pepper issued a voluntary recall for it’s Peñafil water, however, there is no update if Walmart also recalls it’s Starkey brand.
It is likely that laboratories will see an increase in the number of requests for arsenic testing, not only for bottled water, but also other commodities.
