Residents of Ukraine increasingly prefer bottled water.

Is water in plastic containers so safe as it seems at first glance? Indeed, now it is given even to small children. Elena Sidorenko, director of the Gosvodekologiya Research Institute, answers this question.

As for water for children, here the requirements for producers are higher than with the release of ordinary water. But the fact that water is intended for babies should be reflected not only on the label, but also in the accompanying documents. Such water can become a poison for the whole family, because the danger is hidden in the container itself, says Elena Sidorenko.

Completely safe water can only be in a glass bottle. But the consumption of water in a synthetic container must be minimized.

The least harmful polycarbonate packaging. These are usually large containers in which companies deliver water to offices and homes. They are resistant to heat, deformation and can be used many times.

The most dangerous are ordinary PET bottles. They are highly sensitive to sunlight and cannot be used more than once. If such water stood in the sun, it is already chemically dangerous. At temperatures above 20 ° C, it is heated and harmful substances from plastic pass into the water. These include phthalates and formaldehydes. These substances can cause cancer.

When buying water, you need to pay attention to the date of its production. It is advisable to drink water with a shorter shelf life. You can’t buy water that stands in the sun, has a precipitate and an unpleasant odor, and is also sold with deformation of the container, Elena Sidorenko sums up.