Hashmatullah Yousufi; Hafiza 0799253506 Hamid; Khadija Habibi khishki; Najla Haidari; Sahar Mohammadi
Abstract
The study’s objective was to assess the bacterial quality of some domestic brands of bottled water sold in Kabul, Afghanistan. A total of 60 bottled water samples from 20 different domestic brands were collected from the stores in Kabul and analyzed for TPC, TCC, and FCC. The inoculated plates ...
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The study’s objective was to assess the bacterial quality of some domestic brands of bottled water sold in Kabul, Afghanistan. A total of 60 bottled water samples from 20 different domestic brands were collected from the stores in Kabul and analyzed for TPC, TCC, and FCC. The inoculated plates were incubated at 37 °C for 24 – 48 hours. The antibiotic susceptibility tests for bacterial isolates were then performed. The result of the current study revealed that 55% of bottled water had bacterial contamination; 25% had total plate counts that were within an acceptable range, and 30% had counts that were higher than the acceptable range. 15% of the samples from three brands had coliform bacteria. All the samples were free of fecal coliforms. Enterobacter cloacae, Klebsiella pneumonia, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Serratia marcescens, and Staphylococcus aureus were isolated from contaminated samples. Serratia marcescens was ESBL-positive. The result of this study suggests that some of the bottled water brands sold in Kabul, Afghanistan, exceeded the limits set by the WHO. We recommend that MoPH/AFDA strictly monitor bottled water. The government authorities should visit and check these companies for QA and QC regulations on a regular basis.
