Around 12 brands of bottled water contain high level of Arsenic ranging from 12-44 ppb (permissible limit is 10 ppb) which can cause various types of skin diseases, diabetes, kidney diseases, hypertension, heart diseases birth defects, black foot diseases and multiple types of cancers.
According to monitoring report of Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) for the quarter April-June, 2013, 86 samples of Mineral/Bottled water brands were collected from Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Sialkot, D.G Khan, D.I Khan, Multan, Bahawalpur, Tando Jam, Karachi, Quetta, and Peshawar.
Comparison of analytical findings with permissible limits of Pakistan Standard Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) revealed that 27 brands were found unsafe due to chemical or microbiological contamination.
Of those 27 unsafe brands, 12 brands contain high level of arsenic, whereas 10 brands were found unsafe due to microbiological contamination which may cause cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery, hepatitis and typhoid.
The remaining brands were found unsafe due to the presence of higher levels of sodium, potassium or fluoride.
The national quality control/surveillance authorities should take legal actions against the companies, which are supplying contaminated bottled water to the public and playing havoc with the public health, report recommends.