Investigation on the Quality of Prolonged Storage of Packaged Water Commonly Produced in North Central, Nigeria

This study investigated the effects of prolonged storage conditions on the physicochemical parameter, toxic metals, microbial loads, and health risks assessment of randomly selected three brands of sachet and bottled water in North Central, Nigeria. One hundred eighty samples of water brands (sachet and bottled) were collected from 10 different factories and were grouped into three. They were analyzed immediately (initial), being exposed to mild sunlight (stored with a container) and exposed to intense sunlight (stored without a container) conditions for six weeks. The results of the physicochemical parameters (sachet and bottle) were within the limits set by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON). While the results of heavy metals analysis for both sachet and bottled water recorded 0.15 - 0.51 mg/L (0.10 mg/L , 0.05 mg/L), 0.13 - 0.38 mg/L (0.015 mg/L, 0.01 mg/L) and 0.55 - 1.11 mg/L (0.03 mg/L, 0.3 mg/L) for Chromium (Cr), Lead (Pb) and Iron (Fe) respectively, as compared to the permissible limits (values in the bracket for each heavy metals) set by WHO and SON. The microbial analysis results ranged between 6.58 - 124.51 Cfu/100 mL, 0.52 - 37.56 Cfu/100 mL, 0.07 - 5.00 Cfu/100 mL, 0 - 2.07 Cfu/100 mL for Total Bacteria Count (TBC), Total Coliform Count (TCC), Faecal Coliform Count (FCC) and Total Fungal Count (TFC) respectively, which showed no effective quality control system. Incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) assessment revealed a carcinogenic health risk to the populace drinking this water. The study concludes that water stored under sunlight for a long period is not good for human consumption and therefore adequate monitoring by the appropriate agencies is emphasized.