“Lapho izinga lokushisa lishisa kakhulu, ipulasitiki eyengeziwe ingagcina isisekudleni noma emanzini okuphuza,” kusho uRolf Halden, umqondisi weCenter for Healthcare Environmental Engineering e-Biodesign Institute e-Arizona State University.
Imikhiqizo eminingi yepulasitiki ikhipha amanani amancane amakhemikhali eziphuzweni noma ekudleni ekuqukethe. Njengoba izinga lokushisa kanye nesikhathi sokuchayeka kukhula, izibopho zamakhemikhali epulasitiki ziya ngokuya ziphuka, futhi amakhemikhali avame ukuphelela ekudleni noma emanzini. Ngokusho kwe-US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), inani lamakhemikhali akhishwayo lincane kakhulu ukuthi lingabangela izinkinga zempilo, kodwa ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, ukulinganisa okuncane kungaholela ezinkingeni ezinkulu.
Ibhodlela elilahlwayo ngosuku olushisayo lwasehlobo
Amabhodlela amanzi amaningi owathola emashalofini ezitolo ezinkulu enziwe ngepulasitiki ebizwa nge-polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Ucwaningo lwango-2008 olwenziwa abacwaningi base-Arizona State University lubonise ukuthi ukushisa kusheshisa kanjani ukukhululwa kwe-antimony kupulasitiki we-PET. I-Antimony isetshenziselwa ukwenza amapulasitiki futhi ingaba yingozi ngemithamo ephezulu.
Ezivivinyweni zaselabhorethri, kuthathe izinsuku ezingu-38 ukuthi amabhodlela amanzi ashiswe aze afike kuma-degree angu-65 ukuthola amazinga e-antimony abedlula iziqondiso zokuphepha. “Ukushisa kusiza ukunqamula izibopho zamakhemikhali kumapulasitiki, njengamabhodlela epulasitiki, futhi la makhemikhali angathuthela eziphuzweni ezikuwo,” kubhala uJulia Taylor, usosayensi ocwaninga ngepulasitiki e-University of Missouri.
Ngo-2014, ososayensi bathola iminonjana ephezulu ye-antimony kanye nenhlanganisela enobuthi ebizwa ngokuthi i-BPA emanzini athengiswa ngamabhodlela amanzi aseShayina. Ngo-2016, ososayensi bathola amazinga aphezulu e-antimoni emanzini asemabhodleleni athengiswa eMexico. Zombili izifundo zihlole amanzi ezimeni ezingaphezu kuka-65°, okuyisimo esibi kakhulu.
Ngokusho kweqembu lemboni ye-International Bottled Water Association, amanzi asemabhodleleni kufanele agcinwe ngaphansi kwezimo ezifanayo neminye imikhiqizo yokudla. “Amanzi asemabhodleleni aneqhaza elibalulekile ezimeni eziphuthumayo. Uma usonqenqemeni lokuphelelwa ngamanzi emzimbeni, akunandaba ukuthi amanzi akuni. Kodwa kumthengi ojwayelekile, ukusebenzisa amabhodlela epulasitiki ngeke kulethe inzuzo,” kusho uHalden.
Ngakho-ke, amabhodlela epulasitiki akufanele abekwe ilanga elikhanyayo isikhathi eside, futhi akufanele ashiywe emotweni ehlobo.
Kuthiwani ngeziqukathi ezingasetshenziswa kabusha?
Amabhodlela amanzi agaywa kabusha enziwa kakhulu nge-high-density polyethylene (HDPE) noma i-polycarbonate. I-HDPE yamukelwa kakhulu izinhlelo zokugaywa kabusha, ngokungafani ne-polycarbonate.
Ukwenza la mabhodlela aqine futhi acwebezele, abakhiqizi bavame ukusebenzisa i-Bisphenol-A noma i-BPA. I-BPA iyisiphazamiso se-endocrine. Lokhu kusho ukuthi kungaphazamisa ukusebenza okujwayelekile kwama-hormone futhi kuholele enkingeni yezinkinga zempilo eziyingozi. Ucwaningo luxhumanisa i-BPA nomdlavuza webele. I-US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) iyakwenqabela ukusetshenziswa kwe-BPA emabhodleleni ezingane namabhodlela angachithi. Abakhiqizi abaningi baphendule ukukhathazeka kwabathengi ngokuqeda i-BPA.
“Ukungabi na-BPA akusho ukuthi kuphephile,” kusho uTaylor. Uphawule ukuthi i-bisphenol-S, evame ukusetshenziswa njengenye indlela, “ifana ngokwesakhiwo ne-BPA futhi inezakhiwo ezifanayo kakhulu.”
Ziphakeme kangakanani izingozi?
“Uma uphuza ibhodlela elilodwa le-PET lamanzi ngosuku, ingabe izolimaza impilo yakho? Mhlawumbe akunjalo,” kusho uHalden. "Kodwa uma uphuza amabhodlela angama-20 ngosuku, umbuzo wokuphepha uhluke ngokuphelele." Uphawula ukuthi umphumela okhulayo unomthelela omkhulu kakhulu ongaba khona empilweni.
Ngokwami, u-Halden ukhetha ibhodlela lamanzi lensimbi ngaphezu kwepulasitiki engasetshenziswa kabusha lapho efika emgwaqeni. “Uma ungawufuni upulasitiki emzimbeni wakho, ungawandisi emphakathini,” usho kanje.