By Cathy Siegner Published April 22, 2019

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Dive Brief:Out of 130 bottled water brands tested, Consumer Reports found 11contained detectable arsenic levels, including six with 3 parts perbillion or more. The federal standard for arsenic in bottled water is10 ppb, but Consumer Reports said current research suggestslevels above 3 ppb "are potentially dangerous to drink overextended periods of time."

The six with 3 ppb or higher were Whole Foods' Starkey brand,Keurig Dr Pepper's Peñafiel, Crystal Geyser Alpine Spring Water,Danone's Volvic, and the Crystal Creamery and EartH2O regionalbrands.

Following Consumer Reports' inquiries, Keurig Dr Pepperconducted new tests and found average arsenic levels of 17 ppb inPeñafiel samples. The company suspended production at itsbottling plant in Mexico for two weeks and told Consumer Reportsit was improving filtration. The company did not issue a recall.

Dive Insight:

Consumer Reports is using this investigation to show that moreconsistent regulation of bottled water is needed. Arsenic is "a naturalcomponent of the earth's crust and is widely distributed throughoutthe environment in the air, water and land," according to the WorldHealth Organization. Human exposure can occur from drinkingcontaminated water and using it in food preparation and irrigation offood crops, WHO said.

Consumer Reports has previously expressed concern about elevatedarsenic and heavy metal in water and fruit juices and advocated forlowering the permissible level from 10 ppb to 3 ppb. While themagazine noted there were "dozens of bottled water brands"reporting no detectable levels of arsenic in their products, consumingarsenic over a long period can increase the risk of cardiovasculardisease, lower IQ scores in children and cause certain cancers.

To check on arsenic levels in bottled water, Consumer Reports said itreviewed company testing results and public records, as well asconducted independent tests on the Peñafiel, Starkey and Jermukbrands. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration previously putPeñafiel and Jermuk, which is from Armenia, on import alerts forcontaining arsenic above the 10 ppb standard. Nevertheless,Consumer Reports said it was able to buy both brands at retail in twostates and on Amazon, and said the FDA responded it would take"appropriate action" if any product in the market was found to beadulterated.

Some bottled water companies pointed out their products meetfederal arsenic standards and pose no health or safety risks — andthat they have taken appropriate steps to keep them that way. Butsince Keurig Dr Pepper took action as a result of this new report andfound high arsenic levels, more companies might reevaluate theirarsenic levels and testing standards.

Consumer Reports said it should be easy for bottled water producersto ramp up testing regimes and implement treatment protocols toremove arsenic from their water sources.

Companies are likely to take notice of this report since consumerperception can quickly turn negative with publicity aboutcontamination. Bottled water became the top-selling beverage in theU.S. in 2016, beating out carbonated soft drinks and packagedbeverages. Sales have soared in recent years because of consumerworries about tap water quality and concerns about sugary drinks.According to Beverage Marketing Corp., U.S. consumption of bottledwater skyrocketed 284% between 1994 and 2017, reaching nearly 42gallons per person each year.

However, some caution that this study is another example of baitingconsumers with scare tactics. After all, the arsenic standard in thisstudy is lower than what FDA allows and is unlikely to do harmthrough normal consumption.

Still, if the bottled water industry doesn't do whatever is necessary tofilter out arsenic and other contaminants from their products, peoplemight take Consumer Reports' advice and do something easy and farcheaper — drink more highly regulated tap water.

Recommended Reading: Consumer Reports Arsenic in Some Bottled Water Brands at Unsafe

Levels, Consumer Reports Says

WRAL What's in your water bottle? Tests find unsafe levels of arsenicin several brands

Filed Under: Food Safety Policy BeveragesTop image credit: Dr Pepper Snapple Group

BRIEF

Arsenic found in 11bottled water brands,Consumer Reports says

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