ME Inspects Bottled Water to Detect Environmental Hormones

After Seoul City announced that environmental hormones (endocrine organ harming substances) which may cause cancer or deformity have been detected from circulating bottled fresh water, the Ministry of Environment (ME) began an official inspection.

The ME and the National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER) said yesterday, ``We are inspecting five bottled water companies and five pet bottle manufacturers. And so far, we do not know yet whether the environmental hormones came from the water or the bottles.``

Earlier, the Health and Environment Research Institute of Seoul City (HERI) had revealed that when they inspected samples from 31 companies` bottled water, the environmental hormones, di-ethylhexyl and phtalate, have been detected from some of the samples.

The environmental hormones, chemical substances used to manufacture PVC or plastic, are reportedly known to cause breast cancer, testis cancer, or a trouble to produce sperms.

An official of the ME said, ``If the detection of the environmental hormones is officially ascertained, the hormone detection test will be included to our regular checkup list on the circulating bottled water. And if the pet bottles are discovered as the main factor of the environmental hormone, the ministry will review a plan to replace the containers to glass bottles.``

Kim Joon-Seok kjs359@donga.com