Impact of water treatment and storage on the deterioration of packaged water before shelf-life expiration

Abstract

Certain phases of treatment, processing, and storage may render packaged drinking water unfit for human consumption, even prior to its expiration date. The underlying factors contributing to their deterioration are examined and analyzed in this study. Following the standard protocols outlined by the World Health Organization, the Physico-chemical and microbiological characteristics of ten sachet water products and two bottled waters were examined. Nevertheless, the microbiological evaluation of some samples' total coliform count prior to storage revealed no coliform, whilst Pws 1, 2, 5, 7, and 10 showed a high total coliform count of 70–780 CFU/ml. Further investigation on the research showed that the purifying methods employed in water production, such as carbon filtration, reverse osmosis, and ultraviolet light sterilization, correlated with the degradation of water samples over time. In samples Pw (1, 2, 3, 7, 8, & 10), high amounts of some elements, including Fe and Pb, were found. here were also increasing turbidity values of Pw3 with 7.75NTU, 10.31NTU, and 14.05NTU monthly during the shelf period, and Pw8 with 11.74NTU in the third month, and Pw8's turbidity values increased from 11.74NTU in the third month, which both exceeded the permissible limits of 5NTU. The colour of the samples (Pw2, Pw3, Pw8, and Pw10) changed from 5Hu to 10Hu, which corresponded with their unpleasant taste. According to the study, the varied values of different parameters are caused by the chemical, physical, and biochemical processes that take place in the packaged water. These processes include the respiratory and metabolic activities of the total coliforms on nutrients, temperature, and the degree of light penetration.