www.aqua-syn.eu
con il patrocinio di
Regione Siciliana
Assessorato Regionale dell’Istruzione e Formazione Professionale Dipartimento Regionale dell’Istruzione e Formazione Professionale
UNIVERSITÀ degli STUDI di CATANIA Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche, Chirurgiche e Tecnologie Avanzate
"F. G. Ingrassia"
Ordine dei Tecnologi Alimentari di Sicilia e Sardegna
Catania (Italy), 19 March 2015
WORKSHOP
LA QUALITÀ DELLE ACQUE MINERALI NATURALI THE QUALITY OF NATURAL MINERAL WATER
Quality assessment in mineral and spring water
La valutazione della qualità dell’acqua minerale e della sorgente
Prof. Doutora Luísa Paula Cruz-Lopes – IPV/IPP
1. Safety
2. Healthful and tastes refreshing 3. Convenient
4. A healthy alternative to other drinks for people seeking to 4. A healthy alternative to other drinks for people seeking to
eliminate or reduce their consumption of calories, sugar, sweeteners, caffeine, colorants, and other additives.
5. No chlorine taste or odor
6. Available at various price and sizes.
• A team of scientists found that 70 per cent of popular bottled water brands available in shops had high levels of bacteria.
• Tighter controls needed to be put on bottled
• Tighter controls needed to be put on bottled water manufacturers. The bacteria in bottled water is unlikely to cause disease. The high levels of bacteria in bottled water could pose a risk for vulnerable populations such as
pregnant women, infants,
immunocompromised patients and the
elderly.
There are three classes of bottled water:
1. natural mineral water;
2. spring water;
3. other water.
European Communities (Natural Mineral Waters, Spring Waters and Other Waters in Bottles or Containers) Regulations, 2007 (S.I.
No. 225 of 2007) lays down the requirements for the marketing:
definitions, exploitation, treatment, microbiological criteria,
chemical contaminants, sales descriptions and packaging.
Types of Bottled Water from Underground Sources (FDA Rules)
• Well water. Any underground water
• Artesian well water.
Underground water under
pressure with a confining layer of rock or clay.
pressure with a confining layer of rock or clay.
• Spring water. Underground water that flows naturally to the surface.
• Mineral water. Underground water with high mineral
content. Minerals may not be
added.
Defined by Directive 2009/54/EC (European Parliament & Council of the European Union, 2009) as :
“microbiologically wholesome water, within the meaning of Article 5, originating in an underground water table or deposit and emerging from a spring tapped at one or more natural or bore exits”.
• No treatment only for the separation of unstable constituents and the elimination, but the introduction or reintroduction of carbon dioxide , fluoride and ozone can be added.
• Treatment to change the viable colony count of the natural mineral water is strongly forbidden.
European Parliament & Council of the European Union. (2009). Directive 2009/54/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 June 2009 on the exploitation and marketing of natural mineral
waters. Official Journal of the European Union, L, 164/45-58.
• Tap Water - Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the local utility
• Bottled Water - Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the
bottling company. This includes FDA standards
bottling company. This includes FDA standards
of identity, standards of quality, and good
manufacturing practices.
• Nearly all water in the word contains Contaminants.
• Many dissolved minerals, carbon compounds, and microbes find their way into drinking water.
find their way into drinking water.
• Pollutants in drinking water may affect human health.
• The only way to ensure safety of your water supply is doing
periodic laboratory water analysis.
Chemicals Chemicals Chemicals Chemicals
• Organic
• Inorganic
• pH Microbiological
• Bacteria
• Virus
• Protozoa
9
• pH
• Protozoa
• Helminths
Physical
• Turbidity
• Color
• Odor
• Taste
• Requirements for physical, chemical and physico- chemical testing should include determining:
1. Organoleptic parameters;
2. Global Parameters;
3. Anions and cations.
• Turbidity
• Color
•
• Odor
• Taste
• Turbidity
A measure of water clarity
Turbidity reduces the transmission of light into water.
Turbidity increases as a result of suspended solids in the water.
• pH
• Alkalinity
• Conductivity
• Hardness
• Dry residue at 180 and 260 º
• Silica
• pH
variations in pH value are mainly due to hydrolysis of salts of strong bases and weak acids .
Toxic metals less available in water at pH 6 to 8.
• Alkalinity
• Hardness
are usually determined by titration methods.
methods.
• Electric Condutivity
Specific conductance yields a measure of water’s capacity to convey an electric current
• Increases when more salt (e.g., sodium chloride) is dissolved in water
is dissolved in water
• Indirect measure of salinity
μ Ω /cm or μS/cm
• Silica
Can be measured by a colorimetric method that determines molybdate-reactive silica.
• It is applicable to most waters, but some waters may require filtration and dilution to remove may require filtration and dilution to remove
interferences from color and turbidity. This is not generally the case for mineral and spring water.
This test method is useful for concentrations as
low as 20 μg/L.
• Carbonated waters free CO 2
• Method of measuring CO
2uses thermal conductivity technology to measure the “true” amount of CO
2in beverages independent of other gases. This method was developed and patented by Hach Ultra
(www.hach.com)
• Sulphuroused waters total sulphur (mmol/L) and total
sulphonation(mL/L) must be determined
• Anions
F - fluoride Cl - chloride
HCO 3 - hydrogen carbonate or bicarbonate SO 4 2- sulfate
NO 2 - nitrite NO 3 – nitrate
hydrosulfide ion HS − and hydrogen sulphide ( in sulphuroused waters )
• Cations Li + lithium Na + sodium K + potassium
Mg 2+ magnesium Ca 2+ calcium
Fe 2+ and Fe 3+ iron
NH 4 + amonium
• Ion Chromatography
is one of the most used methods to determine ions in water;
is a sensitive and stable technique.
is a sensitive and stable technique.
• Titration
is the most common technic to measured H 2 S.
• Spectrophotometry
is most commonly used to measure iron and nitrate contents
in water samples.
Directive 2009/54/EC (European Parliament & Council of the European Union, 2009) also makes it a condition that, at source and during marketing, a natural mineral water shall be free from:
(a) parasites and pathogenic microorganisms, (a) parasites and pathogenic microorganisms,
(b) Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococci, Escherichia coli and other coliforms in any 250 mL sample examined,
(c) sporulated sulfite-reducing anaerobes in any 50 mL sample
examined.
For this reason, in addition to the implementation of various hygiene measures:
during the capture and packaging of mineral water , special care should also be taken during transport and storage of the filled should also be taken during transport and storage of the filled bottles in order to ensure conditions that exclude the possibility of microbial contamination and proliferation and protect the product and its package from deterioration and damage.
László Varga, Bacteriological quality of bottled natural mineral waters commercialized
in Hungary, Food Control 22 (2011) 591-595. doi:10.1016/j.foodcont.2010.10.00
“Microbiological Safety of Bottled Water (10NS2)”, Monitoring & Surveillance Series, Food Safety Authority of Ireland (2011).
https://www.fsai.ie/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?...
Chemical tests that give additional information on whether fecal
contamination may be present include:
turbidity, color,
“. The Microbiology of Drinking Water (2002) - Part 1 - water Quality and Public Health (2002).
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/316838/mdwpart1.pdf
color,
total organic carbon,
nitrate, nitrite and ammonia.
“Water that is found to contain E. coli must be considered unsafe for consumption due to the strong association between E. coli and faecal contamination.”
Can cause serious diarrheal disease.
• Escherichia coli and other coliforms
“Bottled water that tests positive for E. coli or
Enterococci should be regarded as contaminated with faeces and therefore represents a risk to public health. ” Can cause pharyngitis, tonsillitis, skin infections,
cellulitis, pneumonia and puerperal fever.
Enterococci are also more resistant to chlorination than E. coli
• Enterococci
• Coliforms
“The presence of coliform bacteria in bottled water in
isolation is not, of itself, a strong indication of potential presence of enteric pathogens. ”
May indicate the presence of agents of typhoid and paratyphoid fever, and milder forms of gastro-enteritis.
paratyphoid fever, and milder forms of gastro-enteritis.
. • Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Bottled water products are not permitted to
contain any Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which are bacteria that can be found in source waters.
Responsible for gastrointestinal illnesses.
1. Positive test for E. coli or Enterococci - contaminated with faeces.
Risk to public health. Such water should be considered unsafe for consumption.
2. Negative tests for E. coli and Enterococci . Positive test for coliform bacteria - presence of coliform bacteria on its own is not of itself a strong indication of potential presence of enteric pathogens.
indication of potential presence of enteric pathogens.
Require careful investigation of the potential causes .
3. Positive test for Pseudomonas aeruginosa negative tests for E. coli and Enterococci .
Clearly a risk for the severely immunocompromised sub-population found in certain areas of hospitals like intensive care units.
“The consumption of bottled water containing certain bacteria or groups of bacteria and the implications for public health”, Report of the Scientific Committee of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, Food Safety Authority of Ireland (2009) https://www.fsai.ie/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?...
