Lately mass media, including some of the Ukrainian TV-channels (1+1; “Ukraina”), have provided the information, that scientists from the State University of New York at Fredonia and, which looks a bit weird, journalists made a great research in 9 countries and tested 250 containers with drinking water. As a result, they found about 10 plastic parts in each liter, dissolving in water.

They are supported by the academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Vladyslav Honcharuk, who adds: “All types of plastic bottles are toxic”. He also advises “to pour at once water from a plastic bottle into a glass one. As a matter of fact water is a perfect solvent, to buy water in a plastic container means to poison one’s life willingly.”

Actually, scientists from many laboratories and universities of different countries have been investigating the problem of the influence of polymer package on packaged beverages since the end of the last century.

The vastest researches were conducted by Spanish scientists A. Guart, F. Bono-Blay, A. Borrell and S.Lacorte, who explored 362 samples of bottles from different materials (glass, high pressure polyethylene, polypropylene, polycarbonate, polyethylenterephtalate) with water from 131 sources. The aim of it was to find out in water, stored in different bottles for a year, substances harmful for human organism. Sketchy information, concerning the results of the investigation, was published with the permission of the magazine Food Chemistry in the article “Bottled water in Spain (migration of polymer packaging components)” in Ukrainian magazine UPAKOVKA (2015, No.2, р. 40–42, No.3, р. 36–40).

The scientists established that the studied substances may be present in water stored in bottles made from different materials because of:

• Contamination of water itself;
• Migration of substances from reservoirs and pipelines into water;
• Migration of substances from bottle materials and closure.

Really, different substances (monomers,  antioxidants, stabilizers etc.) migrate into water from different polymers, used for water bottles production. But this migration is extremely subtle.

Thus, the mentioned researches showed, that after a year of water storage in all kinds of bottles including the most widespread – from polyethylenterephtalate, it was found out in water from 0,02 to 4,6% particles (for different substances) from acceptable daily intake which pose no risk to health of a person. Besides, the amount of bottle water, a person should drink every day to reach the acceptable daily intake, was calculated. It amounts to 43 liters for nonylphenol and up to 9967 liters for butyl benzyl phthalate.

So, according to the investigation results of the scientists from Spain, there is no probability of occurrence and development of health problems for a person because of daily consumption of water stored in bottles including those made from polyethylenterephtalate.

I trust Spanish scientists.

(For a more detailed information about the results of the research concerning plastic bottled water please use the links: http://upakjour.com.ua/images/article/2-2015/40-42__2-2015.pdf, http://upakjour.com.ua/images/article/3-2015/36-40__3-2015.pdf)

Valerii Kryvoshei, Candidate of chemical sciences
President of Club packagers of Ukraine
Editor-in-Chief of the magazine “UPAKOVKA”