The biggest health concern about bottled water is the quality of chemicals used to manufacture the bottles. The use of chemicals such as bisphenol could lead to serious health problems, said T.S. Anish, assistant professor, Community Medicine, Government Medical College Hospital here.
The water became potentially hazardous when the plastic bottle was exposed to sunlight for a long time. The ultraviolet rays would accelerate leaching of the chemicals contained in the bottle. Studies had proved that dioxin, a carcinogenic chemical, was released into the water when the bottle was exposed to sunlight or even when kept in high temperature, he said.
“If the water is not properly treated as claimed by the manufacturer it could pose health problems because people normally do not boil the water. We assume the water is clean and bacteria-free, and so consume as it is,” he said. The consumers should make sure that the can was sealed properly before procuring it, he said.
