Does your bottled water contain cancer-causing forever chemicals?

Australians are chugging down bottles of water at a faster rate than almost anyone else on the planet.

So amid this week’s revelations that cancer-causing “forever chemicals” have been found in tap water supplies all over Australia, consumers are naturally asking the question: can they be found in bottled water?

So far, testing in Australia has yielded some reassuring results, with no traces of the chemicals found in bottles tested by the federal food authority. These findings sit in contrast with international studies which have found trace levels of the per- and poly-fluoroalkyl chemicals (PFAS) are widespread in bottled water, including brands that are stocked in Australia.

The bottled water industry has defended its products, saying there is no risk from forever chemicals.

Australia’s bottled water industry moved to reassure consumers on Thursday that its products are “perfectly safe”.

Why are forever chemicals a concern?

According to the World Health Organisation and authorities in the United States, Britain and Europe, forever chemicals are linked to troubling health effects such as cancer, high cholesterol and hormone disruption.

In April, the US EPA dramatically shifted its stance on the two most notorious forever chemicals, perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), warning there is no safe level of exposure, and they are likely to cause cancer. The World Health Organisation has gone one step further, declaring PFOA carcinogenic.

Thirsty for bottled water

Bottled water is big business in Australia. Australia has the world’s most expensive bottled water and the second-highest consumption rate per capita, second only to Singapore, according to a 2021 United Nations report.

The report found Australians on average spend about $580 buying 504 litres of bottled water in a year.

Bottled water in Australia costs almost double what it does in North America and Europe, and about four times what is charged in Asia and Africa.

Where does our bottled water come from?

Australian supermarkets sell bottled water that has been sourced domestically, as well as a variety of imported brands.

In the 2018-19 financial year, Australia imported approximately $340m of bottled water for domestic consumption, according to a report by the NSW chief scientist.

A 2022 Eurofins study showed bottled water sourced and packaged overseas contained four times as many microplastics compared to bottled water sourced in Australia.

Bottled water providers are not required to state on the bottle what type of water it is or where the water has been sourced from, apart from the country of origin, according to Sydney Water.

What has the Australian government found?

Australia has a code setting legal standards for all food and water sold in Australia which is developed and maintained by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ).

A FSANZ spokesperson said it continuously monitors the food supply to ensure it is safe and complies with standards for chemical contamination.

The 27th Australian Total Diet Study, published in 2021, surveyed PFAS in the Australian food supply. It did not detect any PFAS residues in eight bottles of water it sampled.

“The survey remains the most comprehensive study of PFAS in Australian retail food conducted to date,” the spokesperson said.

“It provides a high level of confidence current levels of PFAS in the general Australian food supply are very low and present no public health and safety concerns relating to estimated dietary exposure for the general Australian population.”

What have studies shown about forever chemicals in bottled water?

There have only been two wide-ranging studies of forever chemicals in bottled water – and both took place overseas.

In 2020, US non-profit consumer advocacy organisation Consumer Reports tested 47 brands of bottled still and sparkling water for forever chemicals.

PFAS could be detected in nearly all the samples (43 bottles), but mostly at very low levels.

Several of the brands found to contain PFAS are stocked in Australian supermarkets. The highest levels were seen in sparkling water. It was speculated this could be due to the carbonation process.

The International Bottled Water Association, an industry trade group, attacked the study, warning the reporting would “unnecessarily frighten consumers” and was “not based on sound science”.

Another study in 2021 by Johns Hopkins University researchers detected PFAS in 39 out of 101 bottled water samples.

Purified water contained significantly less PFAS than spring water, which was put down to the use of reverse osmosis treatment in most purified water brands.

Reverse osmosis is considered one of the most effective ways to remove PFAS from drinking water.

What does the Australian industry say?

The Australian Beverages Council is the peak body for non-alcoholic beverages in Australia, including bottled water.

Chief executive Geoff Parker said the council was closely monitoring emerging research on the prevalence of PFOS and PFOA in the environment.

“In Australia, bottled water producers use several expert references for guidance on a range of chemicals to ensure that bottled water is safe including the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines and Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ),” he said.

He said the evidence from the FSANZ’s Total Diet Study showed that drinking bottled water “is perfectly safe”.

Parker said consumers could have a high degree of confidence in the stringent testing and analysis conducted by Australia’s government agencies, including FSANZ.

He added the council would continue to work with government agencies to review the evidence on PFAS from Australia and around the world and update its guidance as necessary.

What rules do companies have to follow?

Australia has drinking water guidelines which set safety thresholds for PFOS and PFOA in drinking water (although these guidelines, which are under review, are much more lenient than standards in the United States).

The guidelines are not mandatory but help regulators and water providers across Australia determine what is safe.

Bottled water is considered to be a “packaged food” in the eyes of the law and is required to meet the requirements of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards code.

The code requires bottled water to comply with World Health Organisation (WHO) safety guidelines, although WHO is yet to finalise any limits for PFAS.

While the guidelines are being developed, WHO is advising its members to strive to achieve concentrations that are “as low as reasonably practical”.

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