Survey of Bottled Drinking Water Sold in Canada. Part 1. Lead, Cadmium, Arsenic, Aluminum, and Fluoride

Abstract

Samples of bottled water (n = 172) offered for sale in Canada were analyzed for lead, cadmium, arsenic, aluminum, and fluoride: means and ranges (μg/g) found were, respectively, 0.0026 (<0.0010- 0.074), 0.00018 (<0.0001-0.0004), 0.0030 (<0.001- 0.048), 0.027 (<0.010-0.568), and 0.543 (<0.050- 5.85). Comparison of levels among mineral waters (n = 64), spring waters (n = 77), and miscellaneous waters (n = 31) indicated appreciable differences only in the case of fluoride. For fluoride, the means and medians (μg/g) for mineral, spring, and miscellaneous waters were 1.179 and 0.455, 0.152 and 0.090, and 0.201 and <0.050, respectively. No samples were found in violation of the tolerances in the Canadian Food and Drug Regulations; however, 1 sample (in a lead-soldered can) contained lead and 15 samples contained fluoride at levels above the limits recommended by the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water (tap-water) Quality.

Survey of bottled drinking water available in Manitoba, Canada.

“…In Canada, bottled water comes under the purview of the Canadian Food and Drugs Act and Regulations (25). Those regulations The objective of the present study was to examine bottled waters available in Manitoba retail stores for total dissolved solids (TDS), chloride, sulfate, nitrate-nitrogen (nitrate-N), cadmium, lead, copper, and total radioactivity and to determine whether these parameters could be correlated with labeling, packaging, and disinfection qualities.…”