The 'Forever Chemicals' That Might Be Hiding In Your Go-To Sparkling Water

Sparkling water is an effervescent alternative to soda. A sugar-free option that's still delivers bold flavors and those signature bubbles. If you're health-conscious, you already know that the "natural flavors" ingredient is a total lie in these drinks, but there's something else lurking in your go-to sparkling water. It doesn't matter if you take steps to avoid the nine unhealthiest store bought unflavored sparkling waters, or only go with glass bottles. There are "forever chemicals" called PFAS in most brands of sparkling water. 

PFAS are synthetic chemicals called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances used in making food packaging, like the plastic liner in the aluminum cans that contain sparkling water. The chemicals' levels are also one of the things you should know before buying a saucepan, because the numbers can get fairly high. The ever-present substances can take hundreds, or even thousands of years to break down, and they are very difficult to get out of your body as well. They seep into food, water, and soil, and when they get into your body, they can cause all sorts of health problems as they accumulate. PFAS have been linked to an increased risk for certain cancers, hormone and immune system disruptions, and birth defects.

Consumer Reports did a study on toxins in sparkling water in 2020 and discovered how prevalent these PFAS really are. Only one out of the 12 brands of sparkling water tested contained zero detectable PFAS. The rest of the brands had at least a small, detectable level of PFAS. You're very likely consuming forever chemicals if you're drinking pretty much any of the brands tested except the one that came back with no detectable levels from CR, and that was Sparkling Ice Black Raspberry Sparkling Water. 

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) recommends a limit of 1 part per trillion (PPT) of PFAS in drinking water. That's a scientific suggestion and not a law. Legally, PFAS are broken down into subcategories that have different standards. When sparkling water was measured against the EWG's guidelines, however, the result wasn't glowing. Eight out of the 12 brands CR tested had PFAS at 1 ppt or above. The brands were: Perrier with 1.1 ppt, La Croix with 1.16 ppt, Canada Dry with 1.24 ppt, Poland Spring with 1.66 ppt, Bubly with 2.24 ppt, Polar with 6.41 ppt, and Topo Chico with 9.76 ppt. We know it's difficult to live a life without bubbles, so if you're want to avoid PFAS and still need that effervescent bubbly pick-me up, you might want to reach for a Sparkling Ice Black Raspberry Sparkling Water or one of the other lower-level PFAS options.