KARACHI, June 6: On the direction of the federal ministry of science and technology, the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) recently analysed samples of 22 brands of bottled water being marketed in the country.

Of the 22 samples tested, 12 were found to be unsafe for human consumption. According to a report issued by the PCRWR, a copy of which has been obtained by Dawn, the samples do not meet the internationally recognized standards on chemical or microbiological quality.

To guard against possible errors, the samples were analysed at two institutions of repute simultaneously - namely the PCRWR, a division of the ministry of science and technology, and the National Institute of Health (NIH), said the report.

Samples were collected by officials of the PCRWR in the presence of the representatives of local administration (magistrates) and the food control authorities. Four samples of each brand were collected, one of which was sent to the PCRWR and one to the NIH, said the report titled "Monitoring of mineral/bottled water brands".

One sample was handed over to the shopkeeper from whose shop it was taken and the fourth one was stored in the water testing laboratory of the PCRWR. Codes were allotted to each brand for transparency and secrecy, according to the report.

Each sample was analysed for 80 parameters, making the effort one of the most thorough in the history of the country. The parameters, for which the samples were tested, are: alkalinity, aluminium, arsenic, bicarbonate, bismuth, boron, beryllium, cadmium, calcium, carbonate, cerium, chloride, chromium, cobalt, colour, conductivity, copper, dysprosium, erbium, europium, Fluoride, free chlorine, gadolinium, gallium, germanium, hafnium, hardness, holmium, indium, iridium, iron, lanthanum, lead, lithium, lutetium, magnesium, manganese, mercury, molybdenum, neodymium, nickel, niobium, nitrate, odour, palladium, pH, platinum, potassium, praseodymium, rhodium, rubidium, ruthenium, rhenium, samarium, scandium, selenium, silver, sodium, strontium, sulphate, tantalum, taste, total dissolved solids, tellurium, terbium, thallium, thorium, thulium, tin, titanium, total chlorine, tungsten, turbidity, vanadium, ytterbium, Yttrium, zinc, zirconium, total coliforms and E.Coli.

Samples were collected from shopping centres in Islamabad and Rawalpindi in December 2003. The analysis work, for which standard methods were employed, was carried out in January this year, said the report.

The PCRWR report claimed that when the initiative was under way, several brands surprisingly disappeared from the market. At the same time, some new brands made their presence felt.

Names of the 22 brands, the samples of which were analysed, are: Sparklet, Nestle, AVA, Natural, Everest, Bahrain, Pearl, OAS, Bisler, Askari, Classic, Aqua Safe, ICE Berg, BSW, Cool, Evian, Aab-e-Hayat, Perrier, ISIS, TWS, H20 Plus and KASHMIR.

The 12 brands the samples of which were found to be unsafe for human consumption are: Aqua Safe, Pearl, BSW, OAS, TWS (Can), Bahrain, Natural, Bisler, Askari, Ice Berg, Cool and Everest.

One of the samples contained bacteriological as well as arsenic contamination. Five of the samples had bacteriological contamination while six had arsenic contamination.

Dr M. Aslam Tahir, a director of the PCRWR, told this reporter that the report on the quality of the bottled/mineral water was released by his organization only a few days ago. The report is also available from the PCRWR's website, the address of which is www.pcrwr.gov.pk, he added.