New Consumer Reports tests determined that some bottled water manufactured by Whole Foods contains potentially dangerous arsenic levels. Starkey Spring Water, which Whole Foods has been selling since 2015, contained at least triple the amount of arsenic as every other brand tested.
Arsenic levels in the Starkey Spring Water ranged from 9.49 to 9.56 parts per billion. While this is within federal regulations stating that manufacturers must keep arsenic levels at or below 10 PPB, Consumer Reports experts believe that level is too high to keep the public safe.
Consumer Reports and The Guardian worked together on a major project about Americans’ access to safe and affordable water. They found that bottled water is not always safer than tap water and noted irregularities between the ways in which the EPA regulates municipal water and the FDA oversees bottled water. While states can set individual standards for tap water, they have no jurisdiction over bottled water’s contaminants. For example, New Jersey and New Hampshire lowered their acceptable arsenic levels to 5 PPB to protect children. However, that rule only applies to tap water.
“I think the average consumer would be stunned to learn that they’re paying a lot of extra money for bottled water, thinking that it’s significantly safer than tap, and unknowingly getting potentially dangerous levels of arsenic,” said Erik Olson, senior strategic director of health and food at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), according to The Guardian.
Arsenic levels of 5 PPB or more were associated with children’s IQs measuring five or six points lower than average, according to a 2014 study published in the journal Environmental Health. Whole Foods has already faced a couple of lawsuits over Starkey Spring Water’s arsenic level, including one from a stage IV cancer survivor who said his condition makes him keenly aware of contaminants, and he wouldn’t have bought the bottled water had he known about the high amount of arsenic.
An FDA spokesperson stressed that because arsenic occurs naturally, “it is not possible to remove arsenic entirely from the environment or food supply.” However, you may want to rethink your bottled water brand in favor of one with lower levels. Or, better yet, if you live in a place with good tap water, save some money and skip the ocean-bound plastic bottles.
Consumer Reports finds high arsenic level in Whole Foods bottled water [Inhabitat]