The articles below are based on the same report

Top bottled water brands contaminated with plastic particles: report
"Plastic was identified in 93 percent of the samples, which included major name brands such as Aqua, Aquafina, Dasani, Evian, Nestle Pure Life and San Pellegrino."
https://www.afp.com/en/news/2265/top-bo … oc-12j5ev1


Plastic particles found in bottled water
"It's not about pointing fingers at particular brands; it's really showing that this is everywhere, that plastic has become such a pervasive material in our society, and it’s pervading water - all of these products that we consume at a very basic level."
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-43388870




I have been drinking Dasani for many years, a couple 1/2 liter bottles per day average. As I type I am running my last 1/2 case of Dasani 3x through my seldom used Brita filter. Tomorrow I will research alternate drinking water options available locally.


What do you think about this report?

What water do you drink?

Not so much about water, but I avoid plastic wherever I can.It's all but impossible to cut it out completely, but you can make conscious choices when you shop and look for alternatives where they're available. There are a surprising number of common products with non-plastic counterparts, it just takes a little extra digging.

The world, and the prospect of survival of our and many other species, would be better off if we had a way to quit it cold turkey.

I also am a user of the Dasani brand of water as their bottles do not have a sharp edge as with the cheaper waters.  I cut my lip up using the cheaper waters and their bottles and the Dasani bottle seemed to have a smoother edge.

There is also the Voss water that comes in a tall glass bottle which is nice, but I see it packed in a cardboard box since the stores don't like sweeping up busted glass bottles.  More expensive too.  Even Snapple changed to plastic bottles I noticed probably for the same reason.

CA is becoming plastic unfriendly and I think Malibu banned plastic soda straws now too.  There was talk of waiters being jailed if they served someone with a plastic straw (Typical CA overkill idea, imo.).  For groceries I use a large plastic carrier I carry in the car I throw into the shopping cart instead of buying bags at grocery checkouts.  Makes hauling the stuff into the house easier too and if it gets dirty I can flush it clean with a garden hose in the yard.

Fwiw, I got into the habit of cutting a slice of lemon or lime up and stuffing it into a Voss water bottle.  Bit of a taste enhancer.

Roger both Pellegrino and Perrier are available in glass containers... Which is what I have always purchased.  There are compelling reasons why glass is the preferred storage container for nearly all liquids. 

Albeit there is a premium to be paid for glass bottling...   
Is it worth the price difference? That is something only you can decide...

Thank you for the focus on health and wellness, it is greatly appreciated...
All the best on your journey...

It is a conundrum.  I remember so many times when I was fishing, seeing broken glass on the bottom of the stream.  I was a taking photos at a favorite spot on a stream last summer, a very clean stream especially for SE PA, and someone had just smashed beer bottles against the boulders.  The chards of glass, big pieces and granules on the rocks and in the water.  Eventually the stream smooths the edges, but you can alway step on a big chunk of bottle and create new hazards. 

I find bottles from ages ago through out the woods.  Aluminum cans and plastic bottles.  I pick the stuff up when I can but I never have enough bags and I can only carry so much out, especially if I have gear.

I walked the dog along the same set of roads and trails in Valley Forge National Historic Park last Saturday and Sunday- same route.  On Sunday, there was a Dunkin' Donuts box, assorted paper products, two McDonald's plastic cups, plastic spoons (McDonald's) all dumped in the same spot, and the trash was not there Saturday.  It was a mile and half to two miles that I had to (had to- obsessive compulsive had to) carry that crap to a trash can, located in a parking lot filthy with litter scraps and cigarette butts.  As much as I hate plastic, it is easier to pick them up then the glass when someone gets their kicks by smashing the  bottles.

The OP's problem seems to stem from a poor bottling practice.  However, if the bottles are washed and the caps are not, one question would be:  Is the wash water being treated in such a way that the plastic isn't being released to the environment.

Separately from the discrete particles the OP is about, I wonder what chemistry the plastic material in the bottle is releasing into the contents: water, milk etc.?

@Hunter. Yes it is a conundrum. And people's behavior can be despicable as in the examples you describe. The scary thing is that people are also in charge of making decisions in business, manufacturing, government, etc.

In addition to litter and waste being tossed any and everywhere, I also worry about the more serious types of chemicals that routinely are discarded into our ecosystem. "Drano" being poured into clogged drains. Paint, bug spray, household chemicals, the list goes on...all have to go somewhere.

We deserve what we get.  People recognize the corporate giant as greedy for polluting.  But, it is greed that makes people dump their dirty oil on the ground or throw their trash out the window.  It is greed to let your cows poop in the stream.  If you can carry a case of beer into the damn campsite, you sure as &^$* can carry out the empties.  It is greed that we vent fossil fuel fumes into the air.  It is all greed.  We deserve what we get.

From what I’ve read, most microplatic particles are greater than 3 microns and can easily be filtered out with fairly basic filtration systems.  When it’s convenient, I drink filtered water from a stainless steel water bottle.  This not only avoids having drinking water that has been stored in plastic but reduces the number of plastic water bottles in general.  I also try to avoid drinking hot beverages from plastic.   

One issue with drinking heavily filtered water (such as “reverse osmosis”), is that the filtering is so good, it removes many of the trace elements we need.