Bottled water mediums: Plastic vs Glass

[What 23]

I have been wondering about this.

I changed a couple of years ago to a kind that's in glass- Acqua Panna, but have recently, with my chemical sensitivities, noticed that sometimes I will react to this water in ways that make me sick. Symptoms range from sore throat, to headache, nausea, and burning sensations in my mouth, and a generally ill feeling. Others also happen, that happen any time someone is sick. I have felt I was coming down with the flu or a cold, and it has just been the water.

At times, I have noticed a strong... smell... coming from the water. I would associate it with gasoline, or detergents. I kept on chalking it up to the seal being not so great on the bottles (they are not, they sometimes leak), and air from the environment leaking in. While this may be part of the issue, I have also read that glass bottles are cleaned prior to filling, at some point, and most likely this is done with a possibility of various industrial solvents.

There are times when I get really really clean batches, too, where I notice none of these smells coming from the water, and don't have the slightest reactions.

Now, I switched from the normal plastic, years ago, because I was having allergic reactions to stuff in the plastic bottles. It wasn't all, but most, and I basically felt plastic was a dirty medium, and tried to avoid it from then on. Fiji, however, never gave me much of, if any real issue. I'm sure there might be others, but many waters bottled in plastic, I remember when I'd open the cap, I'd notice some filmy layer sitting on top, which was likely leached plastic/oil-stuff finding it's way to float, there. This is the stuff I was most likely the most reactive to. But simply the smell of new plastic is enough to mess with me.

So I am just kind of screwed.

I'm wanting to find a local spring, and just collect my own water. I may just go back to drinking tap water. I shower in it, already.

But, I guess, I was just wondering what others' thoughts are on this subject... Any insight they/you might have.

Have you heard of them using solvents of sorts to clean the glass bottles out? My guess is when they do this, it is done in a factory, and having worked in various factories and industrial environments, I know that things are done within parameters, and as long as things/machines are running within these certain parameters (what gets by), it gets by, even if not perfect. So basically, certain amount of chemical residues are allowed to remain inside the bottles. The rinsing process probably isn't the greatest, at all times. Etc. Does this sound feasible? Also, if anyone actually knows or not if it's a fact that they use cleaning solutions of sorts to clean the bottles, this would help. I think it's true and seems likely, but I don't know for sure. I plan to call the company, as they don't have an email, Monday. Maybe my inquiry will start their own, into how well their bottling process is...

It's also possible that it's phenols leaching from the carbon layers in the ground, but this just seems extra strong, sometimes.

And I don't know, what would be the cleanest plastic to drink from? I know it's all PET-1 or whatever anymore, but would certain brands have a better track record?

Should I just drink from the tap? Find a spring? Those come with their own issues, too... Like high solids. Every spring I find around here says not acceptable for daily use, unless distilled.

 

[Maya]

Wow what23, you seem to be extremely sensitive... what I can tell you is since I came from a third world country, we had no choice but to buy bottled water or boil water before consumption or use. Have you considered boiling water so that whatever bacteria or chemical is in it dies or get lessened?

 

[What 23]

I don't think it's bacteria, as the water I am reacting to has smells more associated with gasoline 8(

Ugh... Maybe boiling could lessen it, though... Maybe it would boil off faster than the water? Hmm...

 

[Maya]

Maybe what you can do is distill the water first http://www.h2olabs.com/?gclid=CN7IzqGMl7kCFZFcQgodInEAWQ I found this website for you and maybe you can try this to see if it will help or, you can distill the water and then boil it as well just to be on the safer side. I hope this one helps.

 

[Coolwhip]

Berkey water filters. Worth the investment, and given the life of the filters ends up being cheaper than a brita.(especially when you consider that the guy who helped invent them said they never go bad, you just have to scrub off the outside and run water through them in reverse every 6k gallons or so, although of course the people in charge of actually selling them won't tell you this.)

 

[Pretty_Diamonds]

Water filter? Or move to an island

 

[Wolfmans_BrothEr]

Hhahah only thing I'm thinking is how much are u spending on water? That must b a fortune......Fiji??

Yeah where do u live? if u live in America or another western civilization just drink tap water n stop being such a germaphobe. All the extra shit just builds ur immune system anyway!

 

[Foreigner]

The only way to ensure your water is pure is through osmosis, otherwise you need to move somewhere where water is prestine.

Consider that most water filtration plants are designed to filter pathogenic material like bacteria, but there is growing evidence that medications have ended up in the water system (like anti-depressants, birth control, etc.) In most places where the drinking water comes from the same resources that the waste water is dumped into, there are problems with pharmaceutical contamination.

As for bottle water... many plastic compounds have been shown to be endocrine disruptors or pseudo-estrogens, especially when food is packaged in plastic. That, plus the synthetic ingredients in many modern prepackaged foods, is likely contributing to the obesity epidemic. Plus, the bottles themselves are destroying the ocean, and buying them contributes to the privatization of water.

 

[Joeof1]

Sounds like mold, and yes mold can smell like a petro product. It can also survive anywhere that it's dark.

I use Klean Kanteen for all of my water storage and carrying. They cost a bit more, but are worth it IMO. In case you want something new. I dispense it from a glass 1 gallon jug that I fill up from an RO filter. I'm a bit OCD with my water. Have drank some rank water before because I was on the verge of collapse and it made me violently ill. Afghanistan sucked a lot.

Most factories that still package glass bottles for food usage steam them out first then rinse them with an anti-septic like ethanol. You can try cleaning yours in a similar manner by boiling water in it, and rinsing it with some ethanol products, like everclear or something like that. I have no idea about plastics, I avoid that stuff as much as possible for food usage. Even my tupperware is made of glass, it has a plastic lid but it doesn't touch the food.

 

[What 23]

^Thanks for this. It actually makes a lot of sense that it would be mold, and since you mention it can smell like petrol products... I didn't know that. Thanks.

The stuff is everywhere. The person I go to said that it's one of the things I'm allergic to, too. I stopped going to treatment, because I considered it kind of futile, as it was an "alternative" treatment, that is based on muscle testing, which has pretty much no scientific backing... But I seem to handle other things better than I did before I saw her. And if it's mold that I'm super-sensitive to... It being in everything to varying degrees (spores are everywhere), would be why I consider myself allergic to everything. It would be great if this were the case, and if this treatment for mold(s), that I plan on doing, actually works.

As for now, I have decided I'll just fill up mason jars at the natural food stores, as they have the machines which do all the reverse osmosis, yada-i don't know right now... But it seems better than other alternatives.

Thanks again, everyone.

Ahh... When I'm in a bind, and need water, I have found a trick, I think, when drinking from plastic bottled water... Though I'm not sure how well it would work. My idea is that oil floats on water, and perhaps these plastic compounds. What I do when I open a bottle (Fiji, as it never was that bad to start with), is I squeeze it, and sacrifice that top bit. Overflows the top, where the plastics would have settled the most, perhaps. Just an idea. I doubt it gets all, but perhaps the amount that would cause me to react.

self thoughts

NSFW:

Then again, that could be why I had the horrible headache yesterday and through today... but then again I just went from eating like 8-12 oz of dark chocolate a day to zero + zero carbs at all, thinking it (chocolate, and sugar) was making me emotionally volatile, more susceptible to the negative physical reactions of stress, hence the increased reactions lately, to everything. I've been having burning mouth and skin (mostly facial) symptoms.. Feels scalded, like a chemical burn or something. Anxiety levels are directly correlated. Petting a cat got rid of it completely, for a short time, but I'm also allergic to cats, or something on them. I also got bit by bugs in many places and had a pretty significant histamine reaction, welting up, which began directly before the burning syndrome. Work schedule also changed, and I have more on my plate, when I really need less. I need a break. Coma me. Put me on ice.

 

[SA]

Regardless the vessel, drop a silver coin or a silver chain in the vessel, and you're good to go in about 24hrs. If your water is chlorinated, the synthetic coating (if any) will be eaten away first. If coating present, rub it with an SOS pad or the like. If no coating present, every day bacteria anodizes the silver. The extra oxygen on the surface of the silver allows those (anodized) silver particles to be absorbed by blood cells. The extra oxygen is absorbed by blood cells and reinvigorates them, leading to healing; silver is expelled (unless you are consuming fluoridated water).

Chemistry they don't teach you these days. We accepted Mendeleev for his Periodic Table of Elements (limited edition), but not his endless abiotic oil, or his other revolutionary theories.

*sigh*

 

[Foreigner]

^ That's really interesting about the silver coin. Do you have some useful links so I can learn more about Mendeleev's health practices? I love this kind of stuff.

 

[Joeof1]

^Thanks for this. It actually makes a lot of sense that it would be mold, and since you mention it can smell like petrol products... I didn't know that. Thanks.

The stuff is everywhere. The person I go to said that it's one of the things I'm allergic to, too. I stopped going to treatment, because I considered it kind of futile, as it was an "alternative" treatment, that is based on muscle testing, which has pretty much no scientific backing... But I seem to handle other things better than I did before I saw her. And if it's mold that I'm super-sensitive to... It being in everything to varying degrees (spores are everywhere), would be why I consider myself allergic to everything. It would be great if this were the case, and if this treatment for mold(s), that I plan on doing, actually works.

As for now, I have decided I'll just fill up mason jars at the natural food stores, as they have the machines which do all the reverse osmosis, yada-i don't know right now... But it seems better than other alternatives.

Thanks again, everyone.

Ahh... When I'm in a bind, and need water, I have found a trick, I think, when drinking from plastic bottled water... Though I'm not sure how well it would work. My idea is that oil floats on water, and perhaps these plastic compounds. What I do when I open a bottle (Fiji, as it never was that bad to start with), is I squeeze it, and sacrifice that top bit. Overflows the top, where the plastics would have settled the most, perhaps. Just an idea. I doubt it gets all, but perhaps the amount that would cause me to react.

self thoughts

My wife actually taught me that one. She started her college career majoring as a food-hygeine specialist. Basically a person that teaches people how to properly store and package food safely. She made it 3 years before switching to Child Development, because she likes kids. If you want to know more, feel free to PM me. She is willing to share what she knows.

Regardless the vessel, drop a silver coin or a silver chain in the vessel, and you're good to go in about 24hrs. If your water is chlorinated, the synthetic coating (if any) will be eaten away first. If coating present, rub it with an SOS pad or the like. If no coating present, every day bacteria anodizes the silver. The extra oxygen on the surface of the silver allows those (anodized) silver particles to be absorbed by blood cells. The extra oxygen is absorbed by blood cells and reinvigorates them, leading to healing; silver is expelled (unless you are consuming fluoridated water).

Chemistry they don't teach you these days. We accepted Mendeleev for his Periodic Table of Elements (limited edition), but not his endless abiotic oil, or his other revolutionary theories.

*sigh*

That is a very good point. I prefer to keep my silver in my safe, not in my water though .

There are a lot of great minds that have been pushed off into meaningless by academia rent seekers. His was just another one shoved away. Look how Tesla was treated as well.