Bottled drinking water is widely consumed in Saudi Arabia; however, the chemical composition of these products and the accuracy of the information presented on their labels remain insufficiently characterized. This study evaluated the composition of 41 still bottled waters purchased from major supermarkets in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with emphasis on fluoride, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, hardness, and pH, and examined their potential contributions to dietary mineral intake and caries-preventive fluoride exposure. Products were categorized according to label descriptions, and elemental analyses were performed using a fluoride ion-selective electrode for fluoride and ICP-MS for calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium. The pH was measured using a calibrated multiparameter analyzer, and hardness was calculated from calcium and magnesium concentrations. Mineral and purified waters accounted for 75.6% of the sampled products. Fluoride concentrations were generally modest (mean 0.76 ppm; median 0.74 ppm), indicating that the potential contribution of bottled water to caries prevention may vary substantially by brand, and only one product would provide the adult adequate intake for fluoride at a hypothetical intake of 2 L/day. Mean concentrations of calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium were 15.10, 7.19, 12.08, and 3.55 mg/L, respectively, indicating limited nutritional significance for most products. Most waters were soft to moderately hard, and pH values were close to neutral. Agreement between label declarations and measured values was inconsistent for fluoride, calcium, and pH. These findings show that bottled waters sold in Riyadh differ considerably in composition and that product labels do not always provide a reliable estimate of fluoride content, mineral content, or pH. From a water quality and public health perspective, bottled water can contribute to daily intake of selected constituents, but in most cases, this contribution is modest and highly brand dependent.
Almejrad et al. (Sat,) studied this question.