where does the water in aquafina come from
Aquafina Aquafina Pure Water, the primary unflavored product produced under the Aquafina brand, is derived from local municipal tap water sources and goes through a purification process that incorporates reverse osmosis, ultraviolet, and ozone sterilization.[3] Beginning on July 27, 2007, a disclaimer was added to each bottle of Aquafina, stating the water comes from a "public source".[4] In Canada, the current 1.5 litres (51 US fl oz) bottle of water displays "Demineralized Treated Water". In response to concerns amongst environmental advocates who raised questions over the disclosure of water sources, a PepsiCo spokeswoman stated, "if this helps clarify the fact that the water originates from public sources, then it's a reasonable thing to do."[5]
Mercury in fish The consumption of fish is by far the most significant source of ingestion-related mercury exposure in humans and animals.[4] Mercury and methyl mercury are present in only very small concentrations in seawater. However, they are absorbed, usually as methyl mercury, by algae at the start of the food chain. This algae is then eaten by fish and other organisms higher in the food chain. Fish efficiently absorb methyl mercury, but excrete it very slowly.[5] Methyl mercury is not soluble and therefore not excreted. Instead, it accumulates, primarily in the viscera, although also in the muscle tissue.[6] This results in the bioaccumulation of mercury, in a buildup in the adipose tissue of successive trophic levels: zooplankton, small nekton, larger fish, and so on. The older that such fish become, the more mercury they may have absorbed. Anything that eats these fish within the food chain also consumes the higher level of mercury that the fish have accumulated. This process explains why predatory fish such as swordfish and sharks or birds like osprey and eagles have higher concentrations of mercury in their tissue than could be accounted for by direct exposure alone. Species on the food chain can amass body concentrations of mercury up to ten times higher than the species they consume. This process is called biomagnification. For example, herring contains mercury levels at about 0.1 parts per million, while shark contains mercury levels greater than 1 part per million.[7]