Experimental Comparison of the Reproductive Outcomes and Early Development of the Offspring of Rats Given Five Common Types of Drinking Water

Abstract

Tap water (unfiltered), filtered tap water and processed bottled water (purified water, artificial mineralized water, or natural water) are now the five most widely consumed types of drinking water in China. However, the constituents (organic chemicals and inorganic ingredients) of the five waters differ, which may cause them to have different long-term health effects on those who drink them, especially sensitive children. In order to determine which type of water among the five waters is the most beneficial regarding reproductive outcomes and the developmental behaviors of offspring, two generations of Sprague–Dawley rats were given these five waters separately, and their reproductive outcomes and the developmental behaviors of their offspring were observed and compared. The results showed that the unfiltered tap water group had the lowest values for the maternal gestation index (MGI) and offspring's learning and memory abilities (OLMA); the lowest offspring survival rate was found in the purified water group; and the highest OLMA were found in the filtered tap water group. Thus, the best reproductive and offspring early developmental outcomes were found in the group that drank filtered tap water, which had the lowest levels of pollutants and the richest minerals. Therefore, thoroughly removing toxic contaminants and retaining the beneficial minerals in drinking water may be important for both pregnant women and children, and the best way to treat water may be with granular activated carbon and ion exchange by copper zinc alloy.

Long-Term Potable Effects of Alkalescent Mineral Water on Intestinal Microbiota Shift and Physical Conditioning

“…Distinctive characteristics of AMW are clearly recognizable: high silicic acid, potassium, hydrogen, and carbonate; and low magnesium, calcium, and sulfate. Since previous reports have already described the significantly different biological outputs after the long-term intake of mineral water to distilled water intake controls [13, 14, 22, 26], we evaluated the biological function of AMW by comparing with TWC but not with distilled water. To date, several studies have shown AMW's scavenging action against reactive oxygen species (ROS) to protect cells from different stress conditions such as DNA damage and inflammation [13, 14].…”

Effect of Carbonated Drinks on Uterine Development-An Experimental Study

“…Up to date, little information in this aspect has been reported. 20,21 In the present study, the results demonstrated that the uterine weights of COC-2 and PEP-2 were significantly lower than that of CG (P < 0.05) on days 20 and 25. Uterine wall and uterine cavities were slightly decreased.…”

Long-Term Consumption of Purified Water Altered Amino Acid, Fatty Acid and Energy Metabolism in Livers of Rats

“…Rats drinking purified water with a magnesium-deficient diet induced growth delay and reflex development stuntedness in F1-offspring [37]. Rats drinking filtered tap water with toxic contaminants removed and beneficial minerals retained bore offspring with better learning and memory abilities [38].…”