islamabad - Comparison of analytical findings with permissible limits of Pakistan Standards & Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) has revealed that 13 mineral water brands were found to be unsafe due to chemical or microbiological contamination.
The companies including New Nation, Mazan Pure Life, Premier, Al Haider, Eau Water, Eden Pure Water, Deep Pure Water, Oriel, Jumeirah, Al Sahar, NG Fresh Water, Aqua National, Water Icon were found selling contaminated water.
Taking to APP, Director General National Water Quality Laboratory (NWQL) Lubna Naheed Bukhari said that according to the report issued by NWQL the poor quality of drinking water has forced a large cross section of citizens to buy bottled water. As a consequence of this expanding market a mushroom growth of bottled water industry in the country is witnessed during the last few years, she maintained, however, many of the mineral water companies were found selling contaminated water,DG added.
The DG said that to monitor and improve the quality of bottled water, the government of Pakistan through Ministry of Science and Technology has designated the task to PCRWR for quarterly monitoring of bottled/mineral water brands and publicize the results.
According to the monitoring report for the quarter from October to December, 2015, 100 samples of Mineral/Bottled water brands have been collected from Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, D.I.Khan, Lahore, Faisalabad, Sargodha, Bahawalpur, Sialkot, Multan, Tandojam, Karachi, Quetta and Gujranwala.
Comparison of analytical findings with permissible limits of Pakistan Standards & Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) has revealed that 13 brands (i.e., New Nation, Mazan Pure Life, Premier, Al Haider, Eau Water, Eden Pure Water, Deep Pure Water, Oriel, Jumeirah, Al Sahar, NG Fresh Water, Aqua National, Water Icon) were found to be unsafe due to chemical or microbiological contamination.
Out of those 13 unsafe brands, 06 brands (i.e. New Nation, Premier, Eau Water, Deep Pure Water, Oriel, Aqua National) have comparatively high level of Arsenic ranging from 18 51 ppb than PSQCA water quality standard for arsenic (10 ppb).
Whereas 03 brands (Eden Pure Water, Al Sahar, Water Icon) were found to be unsafe due to microbiological contamination which may cause Cholera, Diarrhea, Dysentery, Hepatitis, Typhoid etc.
The remaining brands were found unsafe due to the presence of higher levels of Sodium and Potassium. She suggested that national quality control/surveillance authorities should take legal actions against the companies, which are supplying contaminated bottled water to the public and playing havoc with the public health. While talking about the side effects she informed that the excessive level of arsenic can cause various types of skin diseases, diabetes, kidney diseases, hypertension, heart diseases birth defects, black foot diseases and multiple types of cancers etc.