Abstract
Several studies have shown concern over nitrate and nitrite contamination of prepared infant formula used by infants less than six months old, as it may lead to methemoglobinemia and death. One possible source of contamination is through the use of improperly treated drinking water. Contamination of water could result from fertilizers and manure runoff, not fully treated and released human and industrial waste, or from disinfection processes. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), bottled water is the major source of drinking water and may be used for the preparation of infant formula. Therefore, in this study, several bottled water brands that are sold on the UAE market, and could be used for preparation of infant formula, were tested for nitrate and nitrite and other anions to show their compatibility with the permissible levels of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), United States Food and Drug Administration/Code of Federal Regulations (U.S. FDA/CFR), and other international organizations. All the bottled water samples demonstrated nitrate, nitrite, and other anions levels below the permissible levels accepted by U.S. EPA, U.S. FDA/CFR, and other international organizations, except for one sample that showed nitrite levels exceeding the European Commission and Drinking Water Directive (EC/DWD) permissible levels. Such study sheds light on the quality of bottled water sold not only in the UAE and the region, but also in other countries, such as France, since some of them are imported. In addition, the results shed light on the effectiveness of the treatment processes and possible sources of infant formula contamination that can affect the health of infants.
Highlights
Drinking water is important for survival, and biological and chemical contamination is a serious matter that may have serious health effects
This research aims to measure the nitrate and nitrite levels in bottled water sold in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that may be used for drinking and for preparing food and infant formula, and to compare the results with U.S and other international permissible set standard limits
Bottled water is an important source of drinking water in the UAE, which has limited resources of fresh water
Summary
Drinking water is important for survival, and biological and chemical contamination is a serious matter that may have serious health effects. The global market for bottled water is huge and is growing continuously to meet the increase in demand and the search for good quality drinking water [3,4]. Such increase in demand for bottled water is especially noticed in arid areas, where fresh water resources are limited and weather conditions require the consumption of more water. In the UAE, there are limited fresh water resources, and to meet the increase in demand for water due to increases in both the population and the number of tourists, the country resorts to desalination and the import of bottled water from other countries. Maintaining good quality water, through regular testing and use of advanced techniques, is important to meeting this increasing demand for water
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
