Hygienic assessment of the quality and safety of bottled drinking water

Introduction. The production of vending drinking water using additional special equipment (vading devices, aquamines), puts forward the need to ensure additional control of its safety for human health. The purpose of this study was to provide a hygienic assessment of the effectiveness of the pretreatment of bottled drinking water sold to the population via aquamats. Materials and methods. The objects of research conducted in 2020–2021 were source and bottled drinking water sold to the population through aquamats on the territory of the Moscow and Kirov regions, Yekaterinburg. The study of water quality was carried out according to organoleptic, sanitary-chemical and microbiological indices in accredited laboratories of the Hygiene and Epidemiology Centers in the Moscow region, the Kirov region and in Yekaterinburg. Results. The proportion of source water samples from centralized drinking water supply systems in populated areas and water intake wells that do not comply with hygienic standards amounted to 58% and 70%, respectively. Drinking water prepared in aquamates in 98% of the samples did not comply with hygienic standards when taking source water from the water supply system and in 64% of the samples – when using water brought in cisterns from artesian wells. Water treatment using ion exchange softening of water in aquamates led to an increase in the sodium and chloride ions concentration above hygienic standards. Limitations. The number and names of the studied indices for each control point were selected individually based on the expediency of control and were different for various points and sources, which made their comparison to a certain extent conditional. Conclusion. It is concluded that it is necessary to increase the effectiveness of preventive measures, both on the choice of source water sources and on measures for additional water treatment in aquamates.