Bacteriological quality of bottled drinking water versus municipal tap water in Dharan municipality, Nepal.
J Health Popul Nutr
; 35(1): 17, 2016 06 07.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-27267213
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Water-related diseases are of great concern in developing countries like Nepal. Every year, there are countless morbidity and mortality due to the consumption of unsafe drinking water. Recently, there have been increased uses of bottled drinking water in an assumption that the bottled water is safer than the tap water and its use will help to protect from water-related diseases. So, the main objective of this study was to analyze the bacteriological quality of bottled drinking water and that of municipal tap water.METHODS:
A total of 100 samples (76 tap water and 24 bottled water) were analyzed for bacteriological quality and pH. The methods used were spread plate method for total plate count (TPC) and membrane filter method for total coliform count (TCC), fecal coliform count (FCC), and fecal streptococcal count (FSC). pH meter was used for measuring pH.RESULTS:
One hundred percent of the tap water samples and 87.5 % of the bottled water samples were found to be contaminated with heterotrophic bacteria. Of the tap water samples, 55.3 % were positive for total coliforms, compared with 25 % of the bottled water. No bottled water samples were positive for fecal coliforms and fecal streptococci, in contrast to 21.1 % and 14.5 % of the tap water samples being contaminated with fecal coliforms and fecal streptococci, respectively. One hundred percent of the tap water samples and 54.2 % of the bottled water samples had pH in the acceptable range.CONCLUSIONS:
All of the municipal tap water samples and most of the bottled drinking water samples distributed in Dharan municipality were found to be contaminated with one or more than one type of indicator organisms. On the basis of our findings, we may conclude that comparatively, the bottled drinking water may have been safer (than tap water) to drink.Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Streptococcus
/
Water Microbiology
/
Water Supply
/
Drinking Water
/
Water Quality
/
Enterobacteriaceae
Limits:
Humans
Country/Region as subject:
Asia
Language:
En
Journal:
J Health Popul Nutr
Journal subject:
CIENCIAS DA NUTRICAO
/
GASTROENTEROLOGIA
/
SAUDE PUBLICA
Year:
2016
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Nepal