Viral Sulawesi Copper Content In Mineral Water, Safe To Consume?

Illustration of copper content in drinking water (X/deedydas)

JAKARTA - Not long ago, a man named Deedy Das who lives in the United States expressed his concern after examining the packaged drinking water label that was served. At that time, he bought the mineral water in Delhi, India.

Deedy Das shared a photo of mineral water that lists "sulfat competition" as one of the ingredients in the packaged product. Das shared a photo of the Tata mineral water brand and wrote on platform X.

"Just served water with sulfate copper content 'with the good of copper' in Delhi," wrote Deedy Das, quoted by VOI from the News18 page on Friday, November 29, 2024.

Deedy said the content could turn into poison and have a negative impact on the health of the body, even though the content is only 0.0004%. In the content of the Tata-branded mineral water, there is a 'cooper sulfate' or known as sulfate copper.

"Why don't you just drink ordinary water? What are these words?" he continued by expressing his concern.

Seeing the upload, many netizens gave explanations about mineral water containing sulfate copper.

"Air Tata Copper lists sulfate copper at a level of 0.0004%, which according to WHO guidelines is a safe amount and only in the form of traces. This content provides the necessary copper for the body and is not toxic to these levels. The claim that it is dangerous is not true," wrote the netizen.

A WHO report on the copper content in water said coloring of sanitary equipment and clothing could occur in copper concentrations above 1 mg/l.

"At levels of more than 5 mg/l, copper also provides unwanted colors and bitter flavors on water. Although copper can affect taste, 2 mg/l levels are still acceptable according to health guidelines," the WHO said.

To provide further explanation, News18.com contacted Dr. Vivek Pandely, an RTI activist and doctor, to provide an explanation. Dr. Viviek confirmed that Tata mineral drinking water is safe for consumption.

"Embaga sulfate is a chemical that is sometimes added to water in very small quantities, such as 0.00041%, to control the growth of the gas," said Dr. Vivek.

"At this small level, sulfate copper is safe for consumption and in accordance with the safety guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO)," he continued.

Dr. Vivek said copper is a nutrient needed by the body, which helps use iron and the function of enzymes. However, excessive amounts of copper consumption can cause digestive problems such as nausea.

"WHO allows up to 2 mg/L of copper in drinking water, which is much higher than the levels in Tata's bottled water. This means that the content in bottled water is safe for consumption," added Dr. Vivek.

"However, for people with rare health conditions, such as Wilson disease, they have to be careful because their bodies cannot process copper properly."

Dr. Vivek stated that Tata's mineral water, which contains sulfur copper at very low levels, is actually safe for people to consume.