Comparison of the bacteriological quality of tap water and bottled mineral water.
The bacteriological quality of tap water from municipal water supplies, 20-L bottles of mineral water from water dispensers and samples collected from new 20-L bottles of mineral water were comparatively studied. Total coliforms, termotolerant coliforms, Escherichia coli, fecal streptococci, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus spp. and heterotrophic plate count were enumerated. The results showed that 36.4% of the tap water samples from municipal water systems and 76.6% of the 20-L bottles of mineral water from water dispensers were contaminated by at least one coliform or indicator bacterium and/or at least one pathogenic bacterium. The bacteriological quality of municipal tap water is superior when compared with the 20-L bottles of mineral water collected from water dispensers and samples collected from new 20-L bottles of mineral water before installation in the dispensers. This highlights the need for an improved surveillance system for the bottled water industry. For the municipal water systems, it is recommended to perform the Pseudomonas enumeration periodically, in addition to the routine data collected by most systems.
Zamberlan da Silva
Marie Eliza
ME
Programa de Pós-graduação em Microbiologia da Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Rodovia Celso Garcia Cid, Pr 445 Km 380, Cx. Postal 6001, 86051-990 Londrina, Paraná, Brazil.
Santana
Rosangela Getirana
RG
Guilhermetti
Marcio
M
Filho
Ivens Camargo
IC
Endo
Eliana Harue
EH
Ueda-Nakamura
Tânia
T
Nakamura
Celso Vataru
CV
Dias Filho
Benedito Prado
BP
D001938:Brazil; D002253:Carbonated Beverages / Q000382:microbiology*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019649:Food Industry; D006801:Humans; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014881:Water Supply