Examining the physicochemical and microbial qualities and mineral content of selected brands of bottled water marketed and consumed in Asaba, Delta State, Nigeria

The quality of bottled water sold in Asaba, Delta State, Nigeria, was investigated in this study. Six (6) brands of highly consumed bottled water were randomly selected for evaluation of physicochemical parameters, metallic and nonmetallic inorganic constituents, and microbial properties. The study revealed that physicochemical parameters such as pH, TDS and Chloride ranged between 6.63±0.03-7.54±0.02, 3.3±0.8-88.4±6.1 and 2.48±0.6-39.3±3.6 respectively, while the metal contents were highly variable amongst the bottled water examined. The study also showed from bacteriological analysis, that 5.2 % of tested samples had Klebsiella sp., Streptococcus faecalis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Values for the physicochemical and non-metal inorganic elements were below the prescribed maximum limits of the World Health Organization (WHO) and Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON). Generally, the bottled waters were found to be microbiologically safe, going by the results of total coliform and heterotrophic plate count and were also not contaminated by heavy metals. A direct comparison of the values obtained with the mineral water categorization system showed low mineral content and hence most suitable for low-sodium diets. The study recommends regular monitoring and analysis of bottled waters sold and consumed in Nigeria for quality assurance.Keywords: Bottled Water, Water Quality, Public Health, Regular Monitoring, Asab