Quality assessment of 30 various brands of bottled drinking waters in Iran

During the last three decades bottled water consumption has become the fastest growing and most dynamic sector of all the food and beverage industries. In the study, physical, chemical and microbiological qualities of 30 different brands of bottled water were studied and compared with labeled values. Total hardness and pH values of bottled water were within acceptable range. Concentrations of trace and major chemical elements of all samples were within standard range. Nitrite concentration in all samples was close to zero. Only 6% and 20% of samples had respectively higher than acceptable values of fluorides and turbidity, respectively. Measured concentrations of sodium, calcium, magnesium, fluorides, nitrates, chlorides, pH and (TDS) were significantly different from labeled values on the samples. Twobrand bottles showed positive fecal coliform results while 16 brands of bottled water showed positive HPC results at 37 °C.