Evaluative Argument Essay
Tia Pace
Western Governor’s University
Student ID: 334765
Evaluative Argument Essay
What is product quality? One website, www.encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com, defines product quality as: “The collection of features and characteristics of a product that contribute to its ability to meet given requirements.” Whose requirement is the product meeting? Is it the consumer? Consumers expect many things to determine the quality of a product, take for instance, bottled water. Consumers will evaluate based on the following questions: Does it taste good? Is it safe for me and my family? Does its cost reflect its value? Bottled water may score a “yes” in one of those three questions; it tastes good. The reason this product scores so low in product quality is the container it’s packaged in may leach harmful chemicals, the water, itself, also contains harmful chemicals that are not regulated properly, and bottled water is expensive.
The ever-so-popular plastic bottle may be the worst part of the product. Over 20 years ago consumers got a big scare because plastic was made from a carbon-based synthetic called Bisphenol A (BPA). Manufacturers quickly changed the process and started listing products as BPA free to sway consumers in believing their product was safe. Now we are faced with a new plastic problem. Water bottles, today, are mainly made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). An article in Environmental Health Perspectives (Sax, 2010) cites recent reports indicating bottles made of this substance may leach endocrine disruptors. Endocrine disruptors pose significant health risks to consumers. The endocrine is the hormone system in mammals. These disruptors can cause cancerous tumors, learning disabilities, birth defects, and more. Any part of the body that is controlled by hormones is susceptible.
But it tastes so good! Bottled water is a delicious, refreshing beverage, but it’s not safer than regular tap water. Tap water is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency and bottled water is controlled by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Both agencies have the same requirements to maintain the safety of the product and one may argue that those requirements make it a safe product. However, the FDA offers ways manufacturers can get out of testing their source water regularly; the FDA calls it, “source water monitoring exemptions,” and they can be found in the Code of Federal Regulations [21 CFR 129.35(a)(4) (U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2011)]). One concern with all water is a chemical called Di-2-ethylhexyl (DEHP), a phthalate that has been linked to reproductive issues if consumed at a level unsafe for humans. Both agencies have limits on the amount of DEHP allowed in our drinking water (“Federal register, 2011), but if testing isn’t required for the manufacturer how do we know it’s being kept at a safe level? This is a major concern considering the amount of water humans are expected to drink every day. Bottled water may taste better than some tap or well water, but at a cost, both to our bodies and our wallets.
In Lake Stevens, Washington a single family dwelling will pay an average commodity rate of $3.18 per 100 cubic feet for water (“Snohomish county PUD”, 2014). A cubic foot is equivalent to 7.48052 gallons. For approximately the same price as two 16.9 ounce bottles of water one could have almost seven-and-a-half gallons of water. That’s a ridiculous increase in price for, essentially, the same product.
Consumers expect many things from their product to be considered good quality. It needs to meet its requirements for the senses, such as tasting delicious. It needs to be safe, and it needs to cost what it is worth. In the case of bottled water, the only positive quality it possesses is tasting good, and being refreshing. Many reports show the chemicals in the bottles and the water are unsafe, and sometimes unregulated, at a huge increase in cost. These factors negatively influence its quality. Our bodies are made of up mostly of water, and need a generous amount each day. According to H.H. Mitchell et al., our bodies are about 60 percent water (2014). Water regulates our body temperature, moves nutrients through our cells, keeps our mucous membranes moist and flushes waste from our bodies (U.S. Geological Survey, 2014). Our lungs are about 83 percent water, and our brains and heart are about 73 percent water. Depending on gender and age, at some point in our lives we are made up of almost 80 percent water. Even our bones contain a significant amount of water, about 31 percent (Mitchell et al., 1945). Taking into consideration the huge impact the water we consume has on numerous parts of our bodies, it’s safe to say we should be aware. Aware of where it’s coming from, whether it’s safe, and at what cost do we consume it, both to our bodies and our wallets.
References
Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration, (2011). Federal register (Vol. 76, No. 202). Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2011. Retrieved from website: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2011-10-19/pdf/2011-26707.pdf
Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, (2014). Monday, Mar. 17, 2014.
Retrieved from website: http://water.usgs.gov/edu/propertyyou.html
H.H. Mitchell et al, The chemical composition of the adult human. May 1, 1945. The Journal of Biological Chemistry, 158, (p.625-637).
Retrieved from website: http://water.usgs.gov/edu/propertyyou.html
Sax, L. (2010). Polyethylene terephthalate may yield endocrine disruptors. Environmental Health Perspectives, 118(4), 445-448. doi: 10.1289/ehp.0901253
Snohomish County PUD, (2014). Snohomish county PUD water rates (p. 5, Table B-6). Retrieved from website: http://www.snopud.com/Site/Content/Documents/rates/WaterRates_040114.pdf 