Reusable Water Bottles: Release of Inorganic Elements, Phthalates, and Bisphenol A in a “Real Use” Simulation Experiment

Maria Luisa Astolfi,Matteo Vitali,Arianna Antonucci,Federica Castellani,Carmela Protano,Silvia Canepari,Pasquale Avino

doi:10.3390/separations8080126

Maria Luisa Astolfi, Matteo Vitali + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/separations8080126

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Abstract

Reusable water bottles are growing in popularity; thus, possible chemical release from the internal surface into water should be carefully considered to control related health risks. We experimentally evaluated the release into deionized water of 40 elements, six phthalates, and bisphenol-A for 20 different reusable bottles by simulating the use in real world scenario. The 20 bottles, identified as those most purchased in Italy, were made of various materials (stainless steel, aluminum, plastic, and silicone). The experiment was carried out for four consecutive weeks in duplicate for each type of bottle. Our results showed the release, to various extents, of inorganic elements from all 20 bottles, while the release of phthalates and bisphenol-A was never found. The elements most frequently released were Al, Sr, Mo, and Cr, while the highest concentrations were for Ca, K, Mg, and Na; the release of toxic elements (such as Pb, Cd, Ni, Sb) also occurred. The comparison of our results with regulatory limits on drinking water quality revealed no exceeding values except for Al. However, these releases represent a further intake, and the related risks cannot be neglected, especially for highly susceptible populations. Thus, it is essential to correctly inform consumers both with dedicated interventions and exhaustive labelling.

Highlights

Single-use plastics have taken on an important role in the modern society, significantly improving the safety of medical devices, packaging technology, and the possibility of preserving food but, at the same time, greatly increasing the amount of disposable products waste [1]
As for bottled water, the increase in the quantity of plastic disposed of as waste depends on the poor compliance with recovery and recycling of the community and individuals; a recent life-cycle analysis demonstrated that polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles’ production and use assure a lower environmental impact compared to polylactic acid and to aluminium bottles [2]
The comparison of our results on elemental release with other studies is not possible because, in our knowledge, this is the first study measuring the elemental release from reusable water bottles and similar experimental data are not available

Summary

Introduction

Single-use plastics have taken on an important role in the modern society, significantly improving the safety of medical devices, packaging technology, and the possibility of preserving food but, at the same time, greatly increasing the amount of disposable products waste [1]. As for bottled water, the increase in the quantity of plastic disposed of as waste depends on the poor compliance with recovery and recycling of the community and individuals; a recent life-cycle analysis demonstrated that PET bottles’ production and use assure a lower environmental impact compared to polylactic acid and to aluminium bottles [2] For these reasons, reusable water bottles, as possible alternative to single-use plastic bottles, are growing in popularity in recent years because they appear environmentally friendly [3], economic as refillable multiple times, and socially appreciated [4,5]. The EC mark and the “fork and glass” symbol should be present and clearly visible on each bottle [6,7]

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