LONDON, ONTARIO — A study has shown that bottled water in Canada contains higher levels of a potentially toxic substance than groundwater or tap water, according to Jan. 20 article in The London Free Press.
A research team lead by William Shotyk of the University of Heidelberg (Germany) collected and tested 15 different bottled water brands from Canada and concluded that the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles leach antimony, a metallic element used to make the bottles, into the water.
On average, when opened, the PET bottles showed antimony levels of 160 parts per trillion (ppt), which is still lower than Health Canada maximum acceptable levels in water.
"The levels do not pose a risk to humans," said Elizabeth Griswold, executive director of Canadian Bottled Water Association. "They are simply trace elements."
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