Tap water vs. mineral water: tap or bottled?

Critical substances in water

Are medications in water a problem?

Waste medicines (e.g. from… Antibiotics) partly in river and lake waters. Before the water comes out of the tap as drinking water, the residues are removed by the water supplier. The traces found in drinking water are in low concentrations and do not pose any health problems. In natural mineral water sources, drug residues usually do not play any role. Stiftung Warentest has… Mineral water test No traces of drugs have been detected yet.

Should I be concerned about nitrates?

Not even in Mineral water test still in Drinking water test So far, our examiners have found that the limit value has been exceeded. For both types of water, it is 50 milligrams per liter. According to the drinking water report of the Federal Environment Agency, exceedances in drinking water consumption have hardly ever occurred in recent years. This is due to measures taken by water suppliers, who mix water contaminated with nitrates with water with a low nitrate content.

Nitrate reaches the soil mainly through intensive fertilization in agriculture. High Federal Environment Agency A good quarter of the groundwater at measuring points in intensive agricultural areas exceeds the limit value. The authority warned that – if something does not change soon – treatment costs could rise sharply and consumers in the affected regions will have to pay up to 45 percent more for drinking water.

Is uranium water radioactive?

Not critically. Uranium is a component of rock that is thousands of years old and can pass into mineral water. Due to its small amounts, the heavy metal poses virtually no risk of radioactivity, and there is no fear of harmful effects on the kidneys due to its chemical toxicity.

Tip: The Drinking Water Ordinance stipulates a limit of 10 micrograms per liter. All 20 samples contained this Drinking water test a. The Ordinance on Mineral and Table Waters establishes only one limit for mineral water used in the preparation of baby food. It is 2 micrograms per liter.

How harmful is chromium in drinking water?

Chromium comes from the rock layers of the soil and can get into drinking water. The Drinking Water Ordinance sets a limit of 50 micrograms per litre for total chromium. A part of chromium, chromium (VI), is carcinogenic. Scientists are currently discussing measures to minimise the risk of chromium (VI). Water suppliers do not yet have the means to remove the critical substance. The examples show how high the contamination of drinking water is Drinking water analysis the Stiftung Warentest.

What about the chemicals of eternity?

Since summer 2023, the Drinking Water Regulation has included limit values ​​for 20 per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS). These are eternal chemicals because they hardly break down in the environment. When testing Classic mineral waters In 2024 we looked for these 20 substances for the first time. Result: no critical discoveries.

Does water contain bisphenol A?

For the first time in 2024 we will test mineral water for residues of Bisphenol A tested, which may have a hormonal effect and may come from the bottles. Although the substance is not used in pure PET bottles, it can be added to water through recycled PET. It was not detectable in any product in the test.

The situation is different with drinking water: in 2023, the Stuttgart Veterinary Chemical Research Office (CVUA) found critical concentrations of the substance Bisphenol A in residential hot water firmly. These were caused by drinking water pipes that were refurbished with epoxy resin. This renovation method was particularly popular across the country between 2000 and 2015 for rusty galvanized steel pipes. The new version of the Drinking Water Ordinance now regulates bisphenol A.

What about pesticide residues?

There is noise in the drinking water Drinking water report by the Federal Environment Agency Limit values ​​are only exceeded in very few exceptional cases. Pesticides are usually filtered out. Individually Mineral waters in the test We detected traces of pesticide degradation products. None of the levels pose a health risk. Pesticide traces can reach groundwater sources via groundwater – if these are not sufficiently protected. A representative survey from 2015 commissioned by Stiftung Warentest shows that consumers do not want residues in mineral water: