Study of the microbiological status of mineral drinking water of Dhaka city

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to assess the overall quality of mineral water quality samples that obtained from different sources in and around Dhaka city. For achieving the above mentioned objectives, standard questionnaire, methods of heterotrophic plate count (HPC) and total coliform count (TCC) were applied. Moreover, isolated colony from mineral water samples were characterized by using biochemical and antimicrobial susceptibility tests for Staphylococcus aureus, S. intermedius, S. felis and S. saccharolyticus were taken for antibiotic susceptibility test. Qualitative assessment of mineral water indicated that a good number of people preferred bottled water to tap water. HPC was found the lowest in some mineral water samples such as 1.0×10, 1.05 ×102, 2.0×10, 1.5×10, 1.05×102, 3.0×10 but also found the highest count in some mineral water samples. They were: 6.00×102, 6.40×102, 8.00×102, 1.50×102 and 5.50×102. Among all organism as per interested, S. intermedius, S. aureus, S. felis and S. Saccharolyticus were taken for antibiotic susceptibility test. In respect to antimicrobial susceptibility testing most of the Staphylococcus spp. isolates were susceptible to erythromycin, tetracycline, norfloxacin and ciprofloxacin. Furthermore, a few Staphylococcus spp. isolates were intermediate resistant to pencillin and oxacillin. However, most of the Staphylococcus spp. isolates were resistant to cefixime. The results indicate that mineral water serves as a reservoir of various bacteria and that people drinking the water might get diseases. This study emphasizes the need for elaborated microbiological examinations of mineral drinking water commonly used in Dhaka city.