Originally published October 24 2005
Uranium levels in bottled water could endanger infants
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Parents who prepare their infants' milk with bottled water under the assumption that the water is healthier for their child may be surprised to find that several main bottled water brands have been found to contain amounts of uranium considered unsafe for children.
Many families have switched from tap water to bottled varieties, believing them to be better and healthier.
Sales have doubled in five years to around two billion litres (480million gallons), worth an estimated �1.2billion.
But bottled waters pick up minerals from the rock they pass through.
These can include uranium, a heavy metal which is particularly toxic to the kidneys.
It said the Food Standards Agency has estimated that using some natural mineral waters to reconstitute baby formula could mean infants receiving more uranium than the daily limit set by the World Health Organisation.
It is weakly radioactive, but radioactivity levels are considered too low to be a health risk.
The Department of Health and the National Childbirth Trust already advise mothers to use tap water - boiled and then cooled - to make up bottle feed.
Research has consistently shown that breast milk is best for babies, but some women cannot breastfeed, or choose not to, while others combine it with formula milk.
All met the WHO guideline level for adults, which is 15 micrograms of uranium per litre.
But 23 samples from six brands exceeded the recommended limit for babies of 3.2 micrograms.
A spokesman for the firm said its water comes from a guaranteed and respected source in Italy.
The owners of Buxton, Parisbased Nestle Waters, challenged the findings of the study.
A spokesman said: 'We are the world leader in bottled water and experts in the field.
The company does not recommend Buxton for baby formula, but this is due to the high mineral and sodium content, not uranium levels.
Buxton is the UK's fifth biggest-selling brand, behind Volvic, Vittel, Highland Spring and Evian.
Brian Quinn, boss of Northern Ireland-based Rocwell, also challenged accuracy of the FSA research.
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