The Quality And Sustainability Of Bottled Water Brands Samantha Wilder, Advised by Jase Bernhardt
Department of Geology, Environment, and Sustainability, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY
Introduction
Data
Results & Discussion
Prior to patent of the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle for carbonated beverages in 1973, companies sold and many reused glass bottles for its products. Plastic bottles were a cheaper alternative to glass that could also withstand the pressure of carbonated drinks. Linking a product or service to luxury and exclusivity is a common marketing device that also works for getting more people to buy water packaged in plastic bottles instead of drinking tap water, as well as convincing them that bottled water is a cleaner and healthier option. Although it is portable and many believe that it does taste better than tap water, the disadvantages of transporting, packaging, and pollution outweigh the benefits of carrying a bottle of water overtime. Marketing a bottle as recyclable may be considered insignificant when about 30% of plastic waste is actually recycled and the other PET plastic products that end up in landfills take up to 450 years to decompose (Peace Corps).
Brands FIJI Water Essentia Boxed Water Poland Spring Aquafina Dasani Year 2020 2020 2018 2019 2019 N/A pH 7.6 9.8 5.8 6.1-7.2 N/A N/A Iron ND ND ND ND ND ND Zinc ND ND ND ND ND ND Copper ND ND ND ND ND ND Calcium N/A ND ND 4.5-8.8 N/A N/A Magnesium N/A 1.3 ND 0.89-1.6 N/A N/A Fluoride 0.2 ND ND ND-0.14 ND ND Sodium N/A 13 ND 1.5-10 N/A N/A Potassium N/A 6.2 ND ND N/A N/A Chloride ND ND ND ND-17 ND 4.2
The pH and mineral content of drinking water can vary depending on the processes used to retrieve, clean, and distribute it to consumers. The pH of each brand was tested in the lab to confirm the values stated in the water quality reports and to fill in the gaps of Aquafina and Dasani’s reports which resulted in the lowest values of the samples chosen. Processes such as reverse osmosis and multi-step purification and filtration for purity can alter the taste of the water which often influences the choices consumers make, but it also can remove some of the essential minerals and nutrients that can be found in drinking water. Although prices can also vary for one brand, the bottles of Aquafina and Dasani were slightly more expensive than the seemingly more high-end brands, FIJI Water and Essentia in every store visited; yet, they had to travel a shorter distance to New York from locations labeled on the bottle. Many water bottle brands are also trying to transition to recycled PET bottles within the next few decades, while Boxed Water has already given consumers packaging that is 92% plant based and Nestlé North America has a sustainable water delivery system that promotes cleaning and reusing the three or five gallon bottles their customers return. Our environment has the chance to benefit and restore itself from overuse of natural resources if consumers continue to become more aware about the quality and sourcing of the drinking water brands they choose to purchase.
1
Essentia
Location Distance (mi.) Ayer, MA 200 Atlanta, GA 880 Long Island, NY local Long Island, NY local
Figure 3. Locations and distances in miles between source of each water sample and Hempstead, NY. Water bottles brand sources taken from distribution center location printed on packaging or in water quality reports.
Hempstead, NY
Poland Spring Aquafina Boxed Water Hempstead, NY
FIJI Water
Dasani
0
Brands Aquafina Dasani Hofstra L.I. Tap
9.01 - Essentia
7.31 - FIJI Water
7.29 - Hofstra
14
7
Figure 2. pH of water brand samples tested with a pH meter, including water from Hofstra’s Hydration Station and Long Island tap water.
Data Brands Location Distance (mi.) FIJI Water Yaqara, Fiji 7,940 Essentia Bothell, WA 2,400 Boxed Water Holland, MI 790 Poland Spring Poland Spring, ME 330
6.60 - Poland Spring 6.71 – LI Tap
The mineral contents of 8 sources of drinking water were compiled into a table from the most recent, publicly accessible water quality reports (Figure 1). In the table, “ND” meant that the mineral was not detected, and “N/A” meant that it was not tested for or not included in the report. The minerals chosen to include on the table were based off a report about the essential minerals and nutrients that can be found in drinking water by the World Health Organization. In the lab, a pH meter was calibrated with pH 4, 7, and 10 buffers. The pH of each water sample was tested and recorded on a scale, while cleaning the probe with deionized water between each sample (Figure 2). The lowest and highest pH values, Aquafina and Essentia respectively, were tested twice to confirm the range of the samples to compare the pH calculated to the pH listed in the water quality reports. Two maps were also created using ArcMap, and Adobe Illustrator to show the approximate distance between the source of each water sample from Hempstead, NY (Figures 3, 4 & 5).
6.54 - Boxed Water
Methodology
5.30 - Dasani
5.01 - Aquafina
Figure 1. Data table from most recent water quality reports of each brand based on the most essential nutrients that can be found in drinking water (World health Organization).
Figure 4. National scale
200
400
0
800 Miles
1,500
3,000
6,000 Miles
Figure 5. Global scale
References Olivares, M. & Uauy, R. Essential Nutrients in Drinking Water. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/nutrientschap4.pdf Timeline for Decomposition. Peace Corps. Retrieved October 16, 2020 from https://www.peacecorps.gov/educators/resources/timeline-decomposition/ World Health Organization https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwid7rj3lLbwAhVcFTQIHZ7YCasQFjAAegQIAxAD&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.who.int%2Fwater_sanitation_health%2Fdwq%2Fnutrientsindw.pdf&u sg=AOvVaw2naueqtfWIJ0BeByvWm57d