Contamination Assessment of Microparticles and Water Quality Parameters in Hot and Cold Dispenser Water

In this study, chemical and bacteriological characteristics of drinking bottled and tap water were comparatively studied.Total 103 bottled water representing 17 brands and 21 tap water samples were collected from different locations in and around Taif city.Acidity degree (pH), electrical conductivity (EC) and total dissolved solids (TDS) were analyzed for different water samples.Total coliforms, fecal coliforms, E. coli, fecal streptococci, P.aeruginosa and heterotrophic plate count (HPC) were detected.The results indicated that pH, EC and TDS of bottled water were highest in (B2 and B11), (B1 and B16) and B16, respectively.However, pH, EC and TDS were variable in tap water.Total coliform and fecal coliform were equal inboth tap water 9.5% and in bottled water 2.9%, respectively.No E. coli was observed in any samples of tap or bottled water.No fecal streptococci were observed intap water but 0.97 % only in bottled water.HPC represent 23.8% in tap water and 1.9% only in bottled water.Pseudomonas spp. was higher in tap water (14.3%)than bottled water (1.9%).Pseudomonas strains were detected in two brands of the bottled water samples.Total aerobic microbial count (HPC) was higher in tap water 23.8% than bottled water 1.9%.According to morphological, physiological characteristics, APi Profiling and sequencing of 16S-rRNA gene, the selected isolates were identified as Entrobacteraerogenes, S. pneumoniae, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, S. pyogenes, K. pneumonia, P. aerogenosa.Generally, the water quality depends on its chemical and microbiological condition.Our results suggest that microbiological quality of bottled waters sold in Taif, Saudi Arabia is highly variable.To protect public health, stringent quality control is recommended for the bottled water industry.