What’s Really in our Bottled Water?

Plastic packaging is not without its downsides, and if you thought mineral water was ‘clean’, it may be time to think again. According to Martin Wagner and Jörg Oehlmann from the Department of Aquatic Ecotoxicology at the Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany, plastic mineral water bottles contaminate drinking water with estrogenic chemicals.
Wagner and Oehlmann looked at whether the migration of substances from packaging material into foodstuffs contributes to human exposure to man-made hormones. They analyzed 20 brands of mineral water available in Germany – nine bottled in glass, nine bottled in plastic and two bottled in composite packaging (paperboard boxes coated with an inner plastic film). The researchers took water samples from the bottles and tested them for the presence of estrogenic chemicals in vitro. They then carried out a reproduction test with the New Zealand mud snail to determine the source and potency of the xenoestrogens.

In an analysis of commercially available mineral waters, the researchers found evidence of estrogenic compounds leaching out of the plastic packaging into the water. What’s more, these chemicals are potent in vivo and result in an increased development of embryos in the New Zealand mud snail. These findings, which show for the first time that substances leaching out of plastic food packaging materials act as functional estrogens, are published in Springer’s journal of Environmental Science and Pollution Research.

They detected estrogen contamination in 60% of the samples (12 of the 20 brands) analyzed. Mineral waters in glass bottles were less estrogenic than waters in plastic bottles. Specifically, 33% of all mineral waters bottled in glass compared with 78% of waters in plastic bottles and both waters bottled in composite packaging showed significant hormonal activity.

By breeding the New Zealand mud snail in both plastic and glass water bottles, the researchers found more than double the number of embryos in plastic bottles compared with glass bottles. Taken together, these results demonstrate widespread contamination of mineral water with potent man-made estrogens that partly originate from compounds leaching out of the plastic packaging material.

The authors conclude: “We must have identified just the tip of the iceberg in that plastic packaging may be a major source of xenohormone (man-made substance that has a hormone-like effect ) contamination of many other edibles. Our findings provide an insight into the potential exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals due to unexpected sources of contamination.”

 Source – www.ScienceDaily.com

Clear the Way for 2010

While December 31^st is the end of another year, for some of us it represents a new year full of opportunity and gives us the time to reflect on what we have accomplished in the last 52 weeks.  It’s a great time to review your prior year and establish your goals for the coming 12 months.  It can be a time to celebrate achievements, a time to recall special family memories, a time of remembering those who have passed on, or perhaps a time to feel badly about things we have said or done, or a trivial thing like all the sweets consumed over the holidays.

Right now is the perfect opportunity to look at your life, how you spend your time, and what you wish to really achieve.  You are one of the few, if everything in your life is in alignment to create success – then kudos to you!  Most of us however, have not set ourselves up for success, either through our time management, our environment or most importantly our mind set.

Time Management tip:  You can begin by changing your daily routine to make room for your goals.  Create a daily schedule for yourself that allows for the completion of those goals that are really important.  Write down 10 activities that are not in alignment with your 2010 goals, and move them to a ‘Don’t Do’ list.  When you clear your day, you clear the way.

Environment tip:  Look closely and objectively at your current environment.  If it reflects more of who you have been rather than who you wish to be, make changes to clear out the things that keep you stuck in the past, and create visual positive affirmations and/or a vision board of your goals.  Include your personal environment, get a new hair style, join a new group or club, change your clothing.  This is a great time to clear out closets – throw out or donate the clothes that are the ‘old you’, and have fun finding those new outfits that symbolize the ‘new you’ of 2010.  When you act, dress and speak as if your dream goals have already occurred, the Law of Attraction makes it so.

Mind set tip:  If thoughts about yourself, your abilities, and your future are more negative than positive and you have trouble envisioning your dream life, then the mental clutter must be cleared out of your mind.  Your thoughts could be the very thing holding you back or blocking your success.  By developing and using positive affirmations on a daily basis you can realize your aspirations.  If you are ready to make a change and want help on bringing more positives into your life please contact Linda.Devine@gmail.com 

Clear the way and your dreams for 2010 will be realized.