Unpackaging the Myth of Safe Bottled Water in India

Bottled water in India is often perceived as a cleaner alternative to municipal supplies, but it carries significant hidden health and environmental risks.

Shift in Public Perception

• From Public Trust to Private Dependence: Declining confidence in municipal tap water has led to increased reliance on bottled water in public and institutional spaces.
• Perception of Absolute Purity: Sealed plastic packaging creates a strong psychological assurance of hygiene and 100% safety, reinforced by branding and certification labels.
• The Hidden Health Concerns: Though largely free from microbial contamination, bottled water may contain microplastics, nanoplastics, and leached chemicals, particularly under heat exposure.

Explore Combo (GS+Optional) Courses

Explore Combo (GS+Optional) Courses

Hidden Risk of Microplastics and Nanoplastics

• Presence of Microplastics: Microplastics are plastic particles smaller than 5 mm found in bottled water.
  • Nagpur study detected 72–212 particles per litre in sampled brands.
  • Studies from Mumbai and coastal Andhra Pradesh found contamination in all samples tested.
• Emerging Threat of Nanoplastics: Nanoplastics are even smaller particles that are often undetectable with standard testing technology.
  • They are capable of crossing biological barriers, entering the bloodstream and potentially accumulating in vital organs.
• Health Implications: Plastic particles can act as carriers of toxic pollutants and heavy metals.
  • The potential long-term risks include inflammation, cellular damage, and endocrine disruption.

Chemical Leaching

• Leaching Process: Plastic bottles can contaminate water through leaching, where chemical additives gradually migrate from the plastic into the stored water.
• Harmful Substances: Compounds such as antimony, phthalates, and other plasticisers may enter the water, especially over time.
• Impact of Heat and Sunlight: Exposure to high temperatures and ultraviolet (UV) radiation, common during transportation and roadside storage in India,  accelerates the release of these chemicals.
• Regulatory Gap: Existing safety standards largely assess short-term exposure to individual chemicals, but do not adequately account for cumulative, long-term exposure under real-world storage condition

Regulatory and Environmental Concerns

• Testing Gaps: Although regulated by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), current standards do not mandate testing for microplastics and nanoplastics in bottled water.
• Weak Enforcement: Thousands of small bottling units operate with limited oversight, often extracting already-stressed groundwater resources.
• Environmental Feedback Loop: Heavy reliance on single-use plastic bottles contributes to plastic pollution, which breaks down into microplastics that re-enter water sources, perpetuating contamination.

Way Forward

• Point-of-Use Filtration: The household tap-based filtration systems should be promoted to reduce exposure to contaminants.
• Improved Storage Practices: Effective standards should be enforced to prevent prolonged exposure of plastic bottles to heat and direct sunlight.
• Revitalising Municipal Water: The government must work to make municipal water supplies trustworthy and clean to restore public confidence in public utilities

Check Out UPSC CSE Books

Visit PW Store

Conclusion

Bottled water remains essential during disasters and in areas lacking a safe supply. Therefore, the focus should be on reducing reliance on its routine use.

DOWNLOAD PDF