“The water in PET bottles is contaminated.” Prof Shotyk, of the University of Heidelberg
Published: 13 March 2006
Category: PET (polyethylene terephthalate), Packaging CONCERNS
A British researcher — Prof. Bill Shotyk — found the longer water staid in plastic bottles, the more antimony from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles was absorbed by the water in the bottle. It could increase dramatically in only three months in storage.
TOXIC? FEAR OVER PLASTIC WATER BOTTLES Fear over plastic water bottles 13 March 2006 By Ruki Sayid, Consumer Editor
A DEADLY poison is seeping into mineral water from plastic bottles, a scientist has revealed. Prof Bill Shotyk found the longer the water stays in the bottle, the more antimony it absorbs - with levels doubling in three months.
Up to 350 times more toxin was found in bottled water as occurs naturally in water, although this was still well below safety guidelines. Antimony is most famous as the poison reputedly used to kill Mozart but today it is used to make polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles.
Most mineral waters, several makes of soft drinks come in PET containers. Even small doses of antimony can cause headaches, dizziness and depression. Larger doses can kill.
Prof Shotyk, of the University of Heidelberg, has vowed never to drink bottled water again, adding: “The water in PET bottles is contaminated.”
He tested the groundwater from a bottling plant’s source in Germany and compared it with 48 brands of European water in PET bottles. The groundwater had four ppt (parts per trillion) of antinomy. A fresh bottle of water had 360ppt and a three-month-old bottle had 700ppt. Similar results were also found in Canada. The British safety limit is five parts per billion.