Alarming microbial content in Kolkata packaged water

In an unpleasant development related to the controversial bottled water issue, a group of city researchers have found alarming levels of aerobic microbial content in leading brands of packaged water collected from various parts of the city.

In an unpleasant development related to the controversial bottled water issue, a group of city researchers have found alarming levels of aerobic microbial content in leading brands of packaged water collected from various parts of the city.

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The survey by Jadavpur University's Centre for Quality Management System (CQMS) on six reputed brands of seemingly harmless packaged water has revealed that the level of aerobic microbes present was 100 to 700 per cent above permissible limits.

"Pesticide levels were found to be within permissible limits, but in four out of the six samples, we found parasitic microbes," Prof Sadhan Ghosh of CQMS said here today.

Alltogether 53 samples were tested from the upmarket areas of Bhawanipore, Jadavpur, New Alipore, Park Circus and Taratala following widespread complaints about the quality of mineral water, Ghosh said on the sidelines of a national symposium on quality of packaged drinking water.

"There may be long-term health risks from the consumption of even small quantities of microbes through food and water like enteric diseases and diarrhoea. We want that every drop that people drink should be safe," he said.