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.
