How healthy is the water coming out of your kitchen faucet?
It’s not advisable to use hot tap water for drinking or cooking, the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) said on Thursday, citing the findings of its study.
Instead, the public health authority recommends using cold water that has been run for a while.
THL’s study found that bisphenol A (BPA), used to make plastics, was rubbed off in epoxy-coated hot water pipes in apartment buildings following pipe renovations. The chemical, however, did not dissolve into cold tap water.
That said, the study confirmed the long held claim not to drink hot water from the tap, as hot water dissolves contaminants more quickly.
THL said it is planning a follow-up study on the impact of bisphenol A in building water on humans. In this case, scientists will measure the concentration of the chemical in residents’ urine.
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