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WHAT’S COMING OUT OF THE DAMACANA WATERS IN TURKEY? WHAT’S GOING ON… AND WHAT ARE WE DRINKING?
For many years, we have been reading countless news articles titled” Look what came out of the checker”, and we have been saying that we have given up. We also saw a cockroach coming out, chewed gum… Finally, a hose containing algae was found in a closed damacana in Eskişehir. And what are we drinking? 10 questions, 10 answers…
According to the data of the Association of Packaged Water Producers (SUDER) for 2020, the volume of the water sunday in Turkey has reached 10.5 billion liters. The annual consumption of drinking water per capita in our country is about 121 liters.
But how much of this amount of drinking water consumed is healthy or not is a very controversial issue.
Boğaziçi University Water Management Specialist Dr, President of the Consumer Protection Association and Associate Professor at Faculty of Aquaculture of Çukurova University, who also has studies on plastic pollution and its effects. Dr. and I discussed the topic of damacana waters and discussed it transversely.
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HERE IS 10 ANSWERS TO 10 QUESTIONS
How do Damacana water producers undergo an audit? Is it checked if it is stored in accordance with the storage conditions?
Professor: The process of Damacana water from the production stage to the sale to the consumer should be specified in detail in the “Regulation on natural mineral waters”. Especially in summer, the waters are kept outside in sunny areas, and it is very dangerous for the water to stay in the sun, whether it is in a damacana or a pet bottle. For this reason, places where water is sold and filling facilities must be inspected frequently. The negatives identified as a result of these audits, closures and similar findings should be shared with the public and the consumer should be provided with access to this information.
What should the consumer pay attention to when buying damacana water? Where can a consumer who encounters a foreign object or dirt in the water in the checker he has bought go to, how can he seek his right?
Professor: If there are foreign substances or discoloration of the water in the packaged and damacana waters, a complaint should be made to the Ministry of Health and an official should be withdrawn. When buying Damacana water, attention should be paid to the date of production and final consumption, waters that have passed the last consumption date should not be taken. In addition, information on the date of manufacture of the cauliflower and how many times the filling has been made should also be checked. It should be noted whether the place where water is taken in grocery stores and grocery stores comes into contact with the sun.
The consumer should definitely complain about the water he encounters with a foreign substance to the Ministry of Health or public health directorates. In addition, the seller must demand a refund of his money for selling defective goods. While the water is being taken, the necessary checks must be made by the consumer. If there is no information required to be found on the water container, complaints should be made to the ministries or general directorates mentioned again.
The solution of this business will not be enough just with a complaint. Companies that do not comply with the provisions of the regulation and public health related practices should be punished.
How healthy is it to consume Damacana water?
Professor: Not everyone uses the waters sold in damacanas or pet packages in Turkey. Unfortunately, this is not due to the trust that our people have in mains water as drinking water. A much larger number of people drink mains water out of necessity because they cannot buy packaged water because it is expensive. But the good news is that mains water is actually more reliable, cleaner and cheaper than packaged water.
The waters sold in plastic checkers and pet bottles are negatively affected by the packaging in which they are contained. The sun’s rays, temperature, injuries during transportation and similar physical reasons cause microplastics to mix with water.
Professor: There are two sources of microplastics exposed to Damacana water drinkers. The first is a contamination that can be caused by the environment and packaging equipment caused by the absence of special precautions for the transmission of microplastics during the packaging of water, and the other is microplastics caused by especially the covers of the checker. Damacana A serious amount of microplastic is transmitted to the consumer’s cup through the septic tank as a result of the fact that those who use the waters together with the water dispensers place the damacana by piercing the lid when placing it in the dispenser. Therefore, it is quite important that local authorities provide potable water from the fountain in order not to condemn citizens to water for damage.
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OUR BODIES ARE TURNING INTO MICROPLASTIC DUMPS
How much microplastics are we exposed to by consuming packaged juices?
Professor: On average, 10.4 pieces of micro plastics larger than 100 microns were found in one liter of packaged water. the number of pieces of microplastics smaller than 100 microns was found to be 314 on average. So, when you drink 2 liters of packaged water a day, the number of microplastics that will enter your body increases to 1277. Although some of them are excreted from the body by defecation, some remain. Our bodies almost turn into microplastic dumps over the years.
What dangers do microplastics cause for human health?
Professor: Microplastics have the ability to attract toxic chemicals around them like magnets. For example, the proportion of toxic chemicals in a microplastic particle can even reach up to a million times the environment in which it is located. Each piece of microplastics turns into a cocktail of chemicals. That is, when microplastics enter our body, we are also exposed to these poisons. Studies on the direct effects of microplastics on the human body are considered new. Therefore, the results of these studies have not yet been finalized. There are more studies on occupational diseases. For example, there are studies on the micro-plastic fibers that textile workers are exposed to. It was found that the micro fibers of acrylic, polyester and polyamides can go deep into the lungs. Micro fibers in the air attract additives, dyes and pigments that have not yet reacted to their structure. And transporting them deep into the lungs can disrupt the reproductive system, cause cancer and mutation.
Should the checkers be disposable, how long does it last?
Professor: If the checkers are disposable, Turkey will return to the plastic landfill even faster than before. That is why multi-use checkers do less harm to the ecosystem than PET bottles and disposable plastics. However, the packaged water sector, whether it is a damacana or a pet bottle, has negative effects both in an economic sense and in an ecological sense. It is necessary to reduce the use of plastic, at least in water, since it pollutes the soil and air with microplastics, mainly by causing plastic accumulation.
Nowadays, everything from our table salt to our water, from the fish we eat to the air we breathe contains micro and nano plastics. We drink, eat and breathe these things. For all these reasons, it would be a much more correct choice to request mains water of drinkable quality and taste from municipalities instead of buying water from grooms. Thus, we protect the nature we live in and are a part of, especially our water resources. On the one hand, we consume water with plastic packaging, and on the other hand, we cannot wait for our water to stay clean. Let’s not forget that everything that harms nature and our environment directly or indirectly harms our people.
Is there an expiration date for Damacana waters? Determined by what? Does this date write on the groom?
Professor: The last date of consumption of Damacana waters, that is, the shelf life is 3 months. It is usually found in print on the top of the damacana lid. While the last consumption date of Damacana water is determined in the “Regulation on natural mineral waters”, since there is no such determination in pet bottle waters, we see that water companies set different final consumption dates such as 12, 15, 18 months. According to what criteria do companies determine these periods, does it have a scientific equivalent? Why does the last date of consumption of damacana in water, which is 3 months, find 18 months in pet bottles. questions such as whether a juice that has been on the shelf for 18 months can be healthy are waiting for answers.
Recycled water containers (Damacana v.b) it can be used for 5 years or 75 refills from the date of production. The operator has to create an electronic tracking system that helps to determine the production date of these containers and how many refills there are for each refill. However, in order for this information to be visible to the consumer, the date of production in recycled water containers should be embossed, and the number of refills should be located on the lid. We see that there is a lack of this information in many checkers on the market.
How can we check if our preferred brand has received a production permit from the Ministry of Health? Is there an address where healthy waters are listed?
Professor: The list of packaged waters with permission is published on the web page of the General Directorate of Public Health of the Ministry of Health in the form of company name, water name, kind, license no, license date. Consumers can check the license of the water they use by entering this page.
In what conditions should the water be stored in the damacana, how many days should it be consumed?
Professor: People who use water for their homes should first of all make sure that the damacana is kept in cool, non-sun-exposed, clean and odorless places and that its lid is opened for the first time. After that, they should store the eggplant in the same desired conditions and consume it before the expiration date. In the evaluation of quality in drinkable waters, the following indicator parameters should be taken into account.
First of all, it is recommended that the water has a pH value in betwen of 7.5-8.5. The other parameter is the taste, smell and clarity of water. The taste and smell of water should not be bad or abnormal. Clarity or turbidity of suspended solids (sand, silt, iron, manganese, etc.) in water.) depending on whether it is found or not. The third parameter is the disinfection of the water, that is, the certification of its cleanliness as a result of microbiological analyzes. Finally, the minerals contained in the water should be looked at. Minerals such as aluminum, ammonium, sulfate, sodium, iron, manganese are necessary for the regular muscles of many activities in the body, such as blood pressure, heart rhythm, maintaining fluid balance, and muscle functions. These usually enter our bodies through the waters we drink. Waters devoid of minerals such as this are known as poor water and should not be preferred. Because over time, health problems may occur due to a lack of these substances in the body.
What are the dangers of the BPA substance contained in it for the damacana to be durable in terms of human health?
Professor: A type of chemical that mimics the hormone BPA. It has been revealed by many studies that it causes growth and development disorders, especially by mimicking growth hormones. In fact, a serious amount of BPA has recently been detected in the urine, especially of people who have acne problems. There is also serious evidence that it causes late or early puberty.
It is known that this substance penetrates into water in various environmental conditions. The main thing here is how long you have been exposed to this substance. Because it is also a determinant of the effect it will have. Unfortunately, there is no reason for this substance not to be contaminated if there are no suitable conditions during transportation and storage, which we can see that there are mostly not.
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THE ANNUAL CONSUMPTION OF DRINKING WATER PER CAPITA IN TURKEY IS 121 LITERS
According to the data of the Association of Packaged Water Producers (SUDER) for 2020, the volume of the water sunday in Turkey has reached 10.5 billion liters.
Of this, 5.9 billion liters of damacana sales and 4.6 billion liters came from pet bottle sales channels. In terms of tonnage, damacana accounted for 56 percent of the packaged water sold and other packaged water sales accounted for 44 percent.
According to TURKSTAT data, the packaged water sector exported about 369.79 million liters of water in 2020. In other words, the amount of packaged water production for use in Turkey amounted to about 10.13 billion liters. Assuming that this is all sold, when we divide this annual production amount by the population of Turkey in 2020, that is, about 83.62 million people, the annual consumption of drinking water per capita turns out to be 121 liters.
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Turkey's world-renowned organ transplant specialist. Dr. Demirbaş has 104 international publications and 102 national publications.
Physician's Resume:
Born on August 7, 1963 in Çorum, Prof. Dr. Alper Demirbaş has been continuing his work as the President of MedicalPark Antalya Hospital Organ Transplantation Center since 2008.
Prof. who performed the first tissue incompatible kidney transplant in Turkey, the first blood type incompatible kidney transplant, the first kidney-pancreas transplant program and the first cadaveric donor and live donor liver transplant in Antalya. Dr. As of August 2016, Alper Demirbaş has performed 4900 kidney transplants, 500 liver transplants and 95 pancreas transplants.
In addition to being the chairman of 6 national congresses, he has also been an invited speaker at 12 international and 65 national scientific congresses. Dr. Alper Demirbaş was married and the father of 1 girl and 1 boy.
Awards:
Eczacibasi Medical Award of 2002, Akdeniz University Service Award of 2005, Izder Medical Man of the Year Award of 2006, BÖHAK Medical Man of the Year Award of 2007, Sabah Mediterranean Newspaper Scientist of the Year Award of 2007, ANTIKAD Scientist of the Year Award of 2009, Social Ethics Association Award of 2010, Işık University Medical Man of the Year Award of 2015, VTV Antalya's Brand Value Award of 2015.
Certificates:
Doctor of Medicine Degree Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine Ankara, General Surgeon Ministry of Health Turkey EKFMG (0-477-343-8), University of Miami School of Medicine Member of Multiple Organ Transplant, ASTS Multiorgan Transplant Scholarship. Lecturer at Kyoto University. Lecturer at University of Essen, Research assistant at the University of Cambridge .
Professional Members:
American Society of Transplant Surgeons, American Transplantation Society Nominated, Middle East and Southern Africa Council Transplantation Society 2007, International Liver Transplantation Association, Turkish Transplantation Association, Turkish Society of Surgery, Turkish Hepatobiliary Surgery Association.
Disclaimer:
Our website contents consist of articles approved by our Web and Medical Editorial Board with the contributions of our physicians. Our contents are prepared only for informational purposes for public benefit. Be sure to consult your doctor for diagnosis and treatment.