Assessing the Likelihood of <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> Contamination in Bottled Drinking Water Production

Abstract

This study’s objectives were to evaluate the possibility of S. aureus contamination in bottled drinking water and to determine the elements that affect the level of S. aureus in raw water. In two drinking water treatment facilities, samples of raw water, soft water, reverse osmosis (R.O.) water, and finished water were collected at various stages. In addition, raw water samples and risk indicators like pH, temperature, and residual chlorine were gathered at the packaging facility during the washing process. For Factory A (small scale), the pH values for the raw water, soft water, R.O. water, and finished water samples were 7.17, 7.24, 6.69, and 5.92, respectively. For Factory B (medium scale), the pH values were 7.9, 7.44, 6.97, and 6.8. All water samples from Factory A (2 CFU/mL) and Factory B (1 CFU/mL) had S. aureus concentrations that were within the acceptable range for human consumption. All water samples from Factory A (2–26 CFU/mL) and Factory B (11–316 CFU/mL) contained total coliforms as well. Our study revealed that S. aureus contamination in water is mostly caused by pH and processing times. To prevent pathogen contamination in bottled drinking water, it is recommended that raw and finished water be kept at a pH level between 6.5 and 7.5.

Keywords

• risk estimation
• food risk assessment
• sensitivity analysis