Physico-chemical and bacterial evaluation of packaged drinking water marketed in delhi - potential public health implications.

INTRODUCTION Quality of drinking water is a powerful environmental determinant of health. The main objective of introduction of bottled water in the society was its better safety, taste and convenience over tap water. The present study was conducted to assess physicochemical and bacterial qualities of bottled water and sachet water which were available in various markets of Delhi. MATERIALS AND METHODS Sixteen water bottles and four water sachets were selected through stratified random sampling from various public places in Delhi and their analysis was done at National Test House, Ghaziabad. RESULTS were then compared with national (IS10500, IS14543) and international (WHO, FDA, USEPA) standards. RESULTS Bottled water showed better quality than sachet water. The mean value of copper (0.0746mg/l) in bottles exceeded the standard values of IS10500 and IS14543(0.05), while the mean value of lead (0.008mg/l) exceeded the FDA standard value (0.005). When the results of sachets were compared with those of standards, the mean values of selenium (0.1195mg/l) and lead (0.862mg/l) were found to exceed values of both Indian and International standards. For the biological parameter i.e. coliform count, the mean value for bottles was 0 (nil), whereas the mean value for sachets was 16.75, which showed the unhealthy nature of sachets. CONCLUSION The parameters which were tested in the present study showed excess of various chemical and bacterial parameters in drinking water, which could pose serious threats to consumers. Thus, these results suggest a more stringent standardization of bottled water market with special attention to quality, identity and licensing by concerned authorities, to safeguard health of consumers.