title: Impact of bottled water storage duration and location on bacteriological quality.
abstract: An investigation studying the effects of storage duration and location on the persistence of heterotrophic microorganisms in oligotrophic bottled water environments has been completed. One-gallon high-density polyethylene water containers stored for up to 16 weeks at temperatures ranging from 2°C to >49°C in a refrigerator, indoor cabinet, covered porch, and car trunk were evaluated for microbiological quality. Heterotrophic plate counts (HPCs) of up to 4 × 10(3) cfu/mL were detected in containers stored on a porch and car trunk; whereas, HPCs were found not to exceed 400 cfu/mL and 100 cfu/mL for bottles stored in indoor cabinets and refrigerators, respectively. Containers stored on an enclosed porch for up to seven years contained HPC of up to 4 × 10(4) cfu/mL. Logistic and Gompertz growth models predicted microbial growth rates for bottled water stored on a protected porch environment for long (R(2) 0.99) and short-term (R(2) 0.86) durations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA. steven.duranceau@ucf.edu
authors.forename: Steven J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Duranceau
authors.forename: Hilary P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Emerson
authors.forename: Rebecca J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Wilder
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D060766:Drinking Water / Q000382:microbiology*; D018857:Food Packaging; D061353:Food Storage; D020959:Polyethylene; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D011093:Polyethylene Terephthalates; D013997:Time Factors; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014873:Water Pollutants / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015003:Yeasts / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D060766:Drinking Water; D011093:Polyethylene Terephthalates; D014873:Water Pollutants; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D020959:Polyethylene