Quality and safety assessment of bottled water in Jordan markets

This study evaluated the quality and safety of 176 different bottled water brands from markets across Jordanian governorates, assessing compliance with WHO/EPA/Jordanian standard (JS) guidelines. Both cupped and bottled packaging formats were evaluated for 10 regular parameters, 56 irregular elements (Li, B, Mg, Al, Si, K, Ca, V, Pd, Ag, Ru, Rh, Se, Mo, Zn, As, Ni, Cu, Mn, Co, Cr, Fe, Cd, Sn, Sb, Ba, Ir, Pt, Hg, Tl, Pb, Bi, Ce, Dy, Eu, Ga, Ge, In, Ir, La, Lu, Nd, Pr, Rb, Sm, Sc, Na, Ta, Te, Tb, Tm, W, Yb, Y, Zr, and bromate), 6 microbiological parameters (total coliforms, E. coli , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , total viable count, yeast and mold, and Salmonella), and 10 pesticides and organic pollutants. The standard Water Quality Index (WQI) may mask zero value. Bacterial override integrates microbiological and chemical risks. Most brands (≈74%) were classified as “Excellent”, though some samples significantly exceeded guideline limits for contaminants (bromate, nitrite, nitrate, B, Ba, Al, Mg, Se, and Pb). Microbial hazard was significantly higher in cupped water than bottled, primarily due to packaging and handling practices. Spatial analysis revealed notable geographic disparities in water quality, underscoring the need for strengthened monitoring and regulatory oversight. • 176 brands assessed for 76 chemical and 6 microbiological parameters. • Override WQI prevents masking of zero-tolerance bacterial hazards. • The most frequent contaminant was found to be Bromate, Se and B. • Microbial hazard is twice as high in cupped brands over bottled brands. • WQI vs override for Excellent 86.9% vs 74.4 and 1.1% vs 2.8% for Unsuitable.