Government Study Finds Toxins In PET Bottles Of 5 Soft Drink Brands

Pratham Gharat

October 7, 2016

In a study conducted by All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health (AIIH&PH), Kolkata, it was found out that there are five different toxins: Heavy metals Antimony, Lead, Chromium, Cadmium, Compound DEHP or Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate in PET bottles Pepsico and Coca-Cola. The institute which conducted this study comes under the Health Ministry and under the DTAB (Drug Testing Advisory Board) instructions. They found out that the toxins were present in five cold drinks PET bottle samples of- Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Mountain Dew, Sprite, and 7up. Mountain Dew and 7Up are owned by Pepsico, and Sprite is owned by Coca-Cola. The results were submitted by the AIIH&PH to Jagdish Prasad, Director of General of Health Services and chairman of DTAB.

The AIIH&PH picked up samples of four bottles of each cold drink brands and gave it to Kolkata-based National Test House (NTH) to perform a test. The NTH comes under the under the Ministry of Consumer Affair. The elements presented in

Pepsi’s PET bottles were 0.029milligrams per litre of antimony, 0.011mg/L of lead, 0.002 mg/L of cadmium, 0.017mg/L of chromium, 0.028mg/L of DEHP and The elements presented in Coca-Cola’s PET bottles were 0.006 mg/L of antimony, 0.009 mg/L of lead, 0.011 mg/L of cadmium, 0.026 mg/L of chromium and 0.026 mg/L of DEHP.

Lead and Cadmium are considered as top two of ten chemicals which are major public health concerns according to The World Health Organisation (WHO).

Lead have serious consequences on the health of children. Lead also attacks the brain and central nervous system that paralyzes the body and the person end up being in the coma and sometimes even death. Cadmium effects Kidney, skeletal system and respiratory system. Cadmium is carcinogenic.

Coca-Cola has denied to respond to the reports . Pepsico has announced that they didn’t receive any reports and they have assured that the heavy metals are mixed in the products in the permissible limit. It is also said that there is no clear proof of PET bottles containing heavy metals inside them. Though DTAB agreed with the results of AIIH&PH and urged the Health Ministry to issue a draft to ban PET bottles.

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