Fungal Diversity and pH Quality Assessment of Commercial Packaged Drinking Water Sold in Agbor, Delta State, Nigeria

Water is indispensable and plays a pivotal role in all life processes. In spite of its indispensability, access to safe and clean water remains a global challenge, particularly in countries with limited resources such as Nigeria. This study comparatively assessed the fungal diversity of sachet and bottled water sold in Agbor, Delta State, Nigeria. A total of sixteen (16) water samples eight sachet and eight bottled were collected and analyzed for fungal count and pH using standard microbiological techniques. The results revealed moderate fungal loads across sachet and bottled brands with the highest concentrations in sachet brands. Fungal isolates including Saccharomyces, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, and Penicillium chrysogenum were identified based on morphological characterization in both sachet and bottled water exhibiting a higher frequency of contamination.