The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey of 2003-2004 shows that 93% of the people tested had discernable levels of BPA in their urine. The ubiquitous presence of a chemical like BPA should make alarm bells ring off in your ears. This might make you question the credibility of the smartwater bottles you use almost regularly. Is Smartwater BPA free? Are smartwater bottles safe to drink from?
BPA is Satan’s child on Earth and customers are aware of it. That’s why a lot of companies, under consumer pressure, have come out with BPA-free alternatives for their products. But the concern still remains; Are all bottled water brands BPA? If not all, does your bottled water brand make those disposable water bottles BPA-free?
What Does BPA-Free Mean?
Bisphenol-A (BPA) is an industrial chemical which has been in use since the 1960s in the plastic manufacturing industries as a base material for creating plastics and resins and thus, present in the plastic packaged food and beverages that we consume.
Any bottled water brand marketing its product as ‘BPA-free’ essentially means that Bisphenol-A has not been used in the manufacturing of that product. Many of you might ask what exactly is the reason for using such a simple claim as a tagline?
The answer is: BPA has been a controversial subject for the past few decades ever since scientists and consumers put their research socks on and FDA banned the use of BPA in baby products and formula packs. Apparently, BPA from the plastic bottles, cans, sippers, etc. leaches into our canned foods and bottled beverages and has many harmful effects on our general health.
One of the major concerns with BPA is its use in the manufacturing of our bottled water and canned food. The seemingly innocent disposable water bottles that we often put to reuse in an effort to be planet friendly can actually cause long term side effects and dysfunctions. BPA-based plastic bottles, containers, and cans can have following effects:
- BPA consumption can have proven behavioural and developmental effects on the normal growth of a child.
- BPA is known to create hormonal imbalance because it has a tendency to mimic the oestrogen and thus disrupt the normal functioning of the body.
- BPA has detrimental effects on the reproductive health of both male and the female body, causing a reduction in the eggs quality in females and decrease in the male sperm count.
- Many have also linked BPA as a possible cause of obesity and cardiovascular diseases. BPA exposure can also lead to many other potential health effects.
What Is Smartwater?
Launched in the United States in the year 1996, Glaceau Smartwater, is a bottled water brand known for its smartwater bottles that became one of the top five bottled water brands by 2016. This brand is globally spread out and is famous for the many variants it offers.
Who Owns Smart Water?
Smartwater is owned by Energy Brands, which is a privately owned subsidiary of The Coca Cola Company.
Is Smartwater Really Good For You?
Are Smartwater bottles BPA free? Yes, although smartwater bottles are BPA free, yet BPA should not be the only parameter for you to deem something safe enough to drink regularly. There have been growing health concerns among scientists who suspect that bottled water brands that claim to be BPA free, aren’t actually that safe and promising as they might sound to the buyer.
So although companies like Smartwater might claim to launch BPA-free products, their bottled water is not entirely safe. Studies show how the growing concern for BPA has led to manufacturing companies using BPA alternatives that can be equally, and sometimes even more, toxic for an individual’s health.
Furthermore, reusing single-use plastic bottles can be potentially unhealthy because of the amount of microplastics that get released as the bottle wears off and also because of the accumulation of bacteria and germs at the bottle’s mouth because of repeated use.
Brands Of Bottled Water That Are BPA Free
VOSS
Sharing the design of a beautiful glass water bottle, VOSS’s bottled water is BPA-free, has a clean and fresh distinct taste, is lightweight, affordable and thus, ideal for backpacks and gym bags.
JUST Water
JUST Water offers 100% spring water in BPA-free plant-based bottles that are made out of 82% renewable resources. These bottles are thus recyclable and offer a good pH level at 8 at an affordable price.
Dasani
Another Coca-Cola creation, Dasani bottles are BPA and GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) free, with a 5.6 pH level, agreeable taste and affordable prices.
Essentia Ionized Water
Acquired by Nestle, Essentia offers BPA free water bottles with electrolyte induced water, FDA approved, 9.5 pH level, sweet aftertaste at a relatively higher price.
Fiji
Fiji enhances the taste of its water by inducing electrolytes in it. Sourced from the natural artesian aquifer in the Fiji Islands, this brand offers a 7.7 pH level, unique taste, high amounts of electrolytes and of course, is BPA-free and FDA approved.
Apart from the above mentioned brands, popular brands like Aquafina and bottle manufacturers like Nalgene also use / offer BPA free products.
BPA-free Water Bottles May Contain Other Harmful Chemicals
Just because there’s a hue and cry about how deadly BPA can be, doesn’t mean it is the only harmful chemical used in the most basic items of daily use that you need to be aware of. In fact, almost all the plastics, when reheated, can release potentially harmful chemicals into your food and beverages. Such is also the case with BPA-free products.
BPA alternatives, such as BPS, BPAF, BPF, etc., are all variants of the same base chemical bisphenol, and although different in a component or two, do not suggest betterment or safety in any way. In fact, a study regarding the effects of BPA on mice by Patricia A. Hunt and her team found that these BPA alternatives equally disrupt the endocrine system and are no better! So the BPA-free tag can end up ensuring absolutely nothing!
Is Reusing Smartwater Bottles Safe?
Designed for a ‘drink and throw’ purpose, Smartwater water bottles are disposable and made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Although PET is one of the safer plastics approved for use by the FDA and BPA-free, yet nowhere is ‘reusing’ PET bottles suggested or even implied. So no, reusing Smart water bottles isn’t safe.
In fact, Oscar Brumelis in an article, shares his personal experience as a smartwater bottle user who has had his fair share of thru-hiking trips. He remarks that although the bottle is BPA free, yet it is at the same time, not fit for reuse for more than a week’s period because of reasons such as, release of microplastics from the friction caused by the repeated screwing/unscrewing of the cap, and the accumulation of bacteria at the bottle’s mouth over time.
In an article by Reader’s Digest Canada, Brooke Nelson and Dani Walpole explain why refilling/reusing your plastic water bottles puts your health at risk. They remark that even when the bottles are PET certified and marked safe to use, harmful chemicals can still seep into your water if the bottles are scratched during the reuse or reheated.
Conclusion
Following are some of the key takeaways from this article:
- Glaceau Smartwater, is an Energy Brands owned bottled water brand known for its disposable water bottles.
- Smartwater bottles are BPA-free and made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is safe to use.
- Although Smartwater bottles are BPA-free, that doesn’t mean they are totally safe to use and reuse.
- Made for ‘drink and throw’ purposes, these bottles should not be reused.
- BPA-free water bottles can contain BPA alternatives, which can be equally, and sometimes even more, harmful.
- So, investing in a stainless steel water bottle for reuse can always be a safer alternative!
