Abstract
Information about the safety of bottled drinking water in Oman is lacking. Therefore, we aimed to compare the chemical composition (as labelled by manufacturers) of 17 local and imported brands of bottled drinking water sold in Oman, and compare them with WHO and USEPA standards. Seventeen brands of bottled drinking water were purchased from local stores in Muscat, Oman. The chemical composition of those brands was recorded from the labels, and compared with WHO and USEPA standards. The results showed that the pH of the bottled water of all the brands was within the normal range prescribed by both WHO and USEPA. Total dissolved solids, hardness, sodium, chloride and nitrate were less than the primary or secondary (aesthetic) maximum limits set by WHO and/or USEPA. Fluoride levels were not reported in 53% of the brands and were less than recommended limits in the remaining brands. Further studies are warranted to analyze water samples of those brands and compare them with the labels.
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