PANIC!
I read in the reputable german ecological comsumer report (öko-test) that San Pellegrino sparkling water (consumed In USA as well as in Germany) has some of the highest levels of URANIUM (think nuclear) in them. Uranium levels in water are not regulated in Germany but are regulated by the EPA in the US. Uranium is quite unhealthy, not only because it is radioactive but also because it’s a heavy metal with consequences like lead.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) suggested in 1998 to set the level of acceptable Uranium in drinking water at 2 micro grams per liter.

San Pellegrino has 5 to 10 micro grams per liter. Evian is close to 2.

The WHO recently changed its recommended limit to 15 micro grams, more than seven-fold the original without much explanation or a new study – mmh. The EPA in the US says 30 micro grams in a liter of water is okay (seven fold times two!), based on the same studies the WHO used except they used a different body weight as average (which could be legitimate since Americans might be a bit heavier but on the other hand fat is the most efficient storage of waste and so larger people already suffer from more toxicity in their bodies). The WHO used an average of 132 pounds or 60 kilos, and the US EPA used 154 pounds or 70 kilos). The problem with radioactive heavy metals is that they don’t flush out of the body but get comfortable and (bio)accumulate over ones lifetime.

The consumers of water have no lobby, which may be the reason for the limits of acceptable uranium consumption going up instead of down. The article in ecological comsumer report (öko-test) mentioned that as the uranium levels in the water get higher, the acceptable limits are also set higher by our authorities, thereby making the water safe to sell but without any regard for what is safe to digest.

The good people of Finland did some studying themselves and found that limit should be well under 2 micro grams, which would eliminate a lot of water sources we currently consume from.

Tap water can also contain Uranium and other radioactive substances. One way these substances get into the water could be through contaminated fluoride, a pesticide added to our New York driking water and most communitites in the USA. The Fluoride supposedly strengthens teeth (much evidence exists to the contrary) but since it is not a natural mineral but an industrial grade chemical it contains traces of heavy metals, including radioactive ones.

The Environmental Working Group, a reputable watchdog in D.C. has done some research on the issue and you can go to their website and click on the different contaminants (e.g. Uranium-234, Radium-226, etc.) and see which communities are contaminated. To see all the contaminants in the New York (or any other state) water go to the state report.