Abstract
Background: The consumption of bottled water globally, including Iran, has increased tremendously in recent years. This study was designed to assess the bacteriological quality of bottled water and its compliance with the drinking water regulations. In addition, we evaluated bottled waters for the presence of a variety of genera of bacteria and the effect of storage duration on the extent of bacterial contamination. Methods: Four hundred samples of bottled water belonging to ten different Iranian brands with various production dates were purchased from supermarkets in Gorgan, Iran, from 2017 to 2018. Bacterial quality of bottled water was assessed using heterotrophic plate count (HPC) followed by usual biochemical tests for identification of bacterial genera, and by the API system. Results: The average HPC of bottled water was 9974 colony-forming units per milliliter (CFU/ml). Twelve genera were isolated, among which Bacillus spp. and Escherichia coli were the most and least abundant, respectively. Statistical analysis showed that there was a positive association between water quality and storage duration so that the highest microbial load occurred within the first to third months after bottling. Furthermore, the highest rate of contamination was observed in May when ambient air temperatures commonly reached 40 °C. Conclusion: The bacterial quality of bottled water was not according to the standard of drinking water quality. This study demonstrated the variation in bacterial levels after bottling, which indicates the presence of waterborne heterotrophic bacteria, some of which can pose severe health risks to consumers.
Highlights
The production and consumption of bottled drinking water are increasing all around the world with public concern rising regarding the safety and quality of the water, with respect to the possibility of water-borne diseases [1]
In a survey conducted by Pavlov HW DO., a possible link was observed between Heterotrophic Plate Count (HPC) bacteria and the incidence of gastroenteritis due to opportunistic bacterial pathogens [18]
The highest and lowest amount of bacterial contamination was observed in brands 8 and 7, respectively (Table 1)
Summary
The production and consumption of bottled drinking water are increasing all around the world with public concern rising regarding the safety and quality of the water, with respect to the possibility of water-borne diseases [1]. The Open Microbiology Journal, 2020, Volume 14 79 measured by the Heterotrophic Plate Count (HPC) is used as a criterion of microbiological water quality assessment [6]. Heterotrophic Plate Count is used as a process management indicator in municipal systems in particular, when chloramine is used as the distribution system disinfectant [14], and for bottled water production [15]. This study was designed to assess the bacteriological quality of bottled water and its compliance with the drinking water regulations. We evaluated bottled waters for the presence of a variety of genera of bacteria and the effect of storage duration on the extent of bacterial contamination
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