Debate on Plastic Water Bottles

Plastic water bottles affect human and animal health negatively because they cause serious health problems and diseases in adults, they have poor development and fertility effects on women and young girls, and animal’s lives are compromised due to plastic pollution in oceans and ecosystems.

Firstly, plastic water bottles cause serious health problems and diseases in adults. According to CBC News, plastic water bottles contain Bisphenol A (BPA) which is an industrial chemical. Some plastic water bottles contain chemicals that leach into drinking water. BPA enters the human body through exposure to plastics such as, bottled drinks and cleaning products (Lights). This is harmful because people with a high BPA are three times more likely to have a cardiovascular disease and 2.4 times more likely to have type 2 diabetes (Beach). According to Dr. Mercola, BPA exposure can cause breast, prostate and ovarian cancer, diabetes and obesity, learning, behavioral and neurological problems and altered immune system functions (Mercola). According to Ban The Bottle, antimony (a dangerous chemical) is found in PET plastic bottles, which can cause depression, nausea and possibly, death (Ban The Bottle).

If Canada bans plastic water bottles, these diseases and health problems can easily be prevented and the citizens will be far healthier and will live longer. Plastic Water bottles also have poor development and fertility effects on women and young girls. According to LiveStrong, BPA exposure can cause hyperactivity disorders, reduced fertility in women, premature labour, chromosomal abnormalities and birth defects (Beach). A study at North Dakota State University showed that 96% of women in the U.S have BPA in their bodies (Lights). By banning plastic water bottles in Canada, these health defects in young adults, infants and pregnant mothers will reduce by a great deal, which in the end, will improve the future generations in Canada and the population.

Finally, with plastic water bottles, animal’s lives are compromised due to pollution in oceans and ecosystems. Plastic bottle tops are not recyclable, and they end up at the bottom of the ocean, and animals eat them (Macklin). One Green Planet states that by 2050, 99% of all seabird species will have ingested plastic waste. 50% of all sea turtles have plastic in their stomachs. Additionally, around 8.8 million tons of plastic gets dumped into the oceans every year. Which then causes 700 marine animals to face extinction because of entanglement, pollution, and ingestion (One Green Planet). If Canada bans plastic water bottles, marine and land animal’s lives and ecosystems will substantially grow and won’t be at such a risk because of increased biodiversity and fewer deaths, improving the environment in the future. Human health and animals lives are very important, and plastic water bottles greatly compromise these lives.