Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Thiruvananthapuram
Visakhapatnam
How safe is bottled water?
|
Branded bottled water sold in the country is said to be free from pesticide residue and foreign particles. But at least three voluntary organisations which tested it,, have a different story to tell.
|
How safe is it?
NOT SO long ago, water was considered a divine gift and it was always available in plenty. Nobody ever dared to refuse water to anybody who needed it. Similarly people quenched their thirst without questioning the source of water. For, water was not manufactured nor was it a commercialised product. Sale and adulteration of water was never heard of. But today, drinking water is a tradable commodity. With lakes and wells drying up, and rivers getting polluted, consumers are increasingly looking towards bottled water as a means of meeting some of their daily requirements. As a result, bottled water is a big business with a turnover of Rs. 1,000 crore. And a litre of drinking water costs anything between Rs. 10 and Rs.15, a few rupees more than a litre of milk.
Yet, how safe is the bottled water? Are consumers getting value for their money? At least three voluntary organisations, which tested bottled water, have a different story to tell. The latest report from the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has found pesticide residues in more than the permissible limits in bottled water. The CSE analysed 17 brands purchased in Delhi and 13 brands from Mumbai and has reported that most of the brands contained as much as five different pesticide residues. Forgetting the controversy of standards used for testing the water, it is well established that bottled water is not all that safe.
This is not the first time that bottled water has been found unsafe. In February 1998, while the BIS certification was not mandatory, the Ahmedabad-based Consumer Education and Research Society had done a similar study and found that out of 13 brands (eight drinking water and five mineral water) tested, only three brands conformed to all the required specifications. Tests were conducted against 27 parameters under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act (PA) and 37 parameters of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and some of the standards in US Food and Drugs Administration, Codex and World Health Organisation were also referred.
To make water safe, the level of arsenic, a cumulative poison, should not be more than 0.05 ppm as per IS and PFA standards. Arsenic is a common element in the earth's crust and can be found in minute quantities in many foods and water. But level beyond 0.05 ppm may lead to toxicity of water. One brand had arsenic up to 0.1 ppm and in the other brand, the level of aluminium was 0.2 ppm against the limit of 0.03 ppm. Aluminium is associated with Alzheimer's disease. Aluminium in water can be a problem for two specific groups - kidney dialysis patients and premature babies. This brand also indicated a higher presence of fluorides. Five brands of drinking water carried floating particles, visible to the naked eye.
Almost all brands label their products as "germ free" and "bacteria free". But the fact is something different. No brand was free from bacteria though all were found to be non-pathogenic. In other words, these bacteria do not cause any disease. Another interesting finding was that same brands bottled in different parts of the country showed disparity in their composition and quality. So, should these brands be allowed to be sold in a single name?
It appears that there is not much difference in mineral water and bottled drinking water as sold in Indian markets. Mineral water should contain a minimum of 250 ppm of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) as set by the US, FDA. Such standards are not available in India. Surprisingly, the test found that one brand had a TDS of 299 ppm, though there was no such claim on the label.
In March 1999, the Delhi-based Voluntary Organisation in the Interest of Consumer Education (VOICE) conducted a test of bottled mineral water. The 12 brands selected were Purettee, Fountain, Yes, Ganga, Bisleri, Florida, Himalayan, Golden Eagle, to name a few. The samples were tested for the presence of heavy metals, mercury, nitrate, cyanide, arsenic, alkalinity, fluoride etc. All the 12 were within the prescribed range and were said to be chemically safe. As per BIS specification, the minimum TDS for mineral water is 150 mg. per litre and maximum is 700 mg. per litre. Only three brands qualify for this category. On the other hand, brands such as Bisleri, Golden Eagle, Prime, and Bailey failed to qualify as they were far below the minimum required level of TDS.
In the absence of universal standards for bottled drinking water and mineral water coupled with strict enforcement machinery, it is doubtful, consumers will be able to get safe drinking water. The best preventive method is to boil water before drinking. If that is so, why not go for water supplied by the government owned water boards?
Y.G. MURALIDHARAN
(YGM_CIC@rediffmail.com)
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Thiruvananthapuram
Visakhapatnam
|
