Evaluation of the microbiological quality of mineral water consumed in the metropolitan region of Recife, Pernambuco State/Avaliacao da qualidade microbiologica de aguas minerais consumidas na regiao metropolitana de Recife, Estado de Pernambuco

Mineral water sold in 20 L bottles in the metropolitan area of Recife, Pernambuco State were microbiologically analyzed between June 2002 and May 2003. The ten selected brands of mineral water were evaluated with regard to heterotrophic bacteria, coliforms, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Aeromonas spp. Data were statistically analyzed using Generalized Linear Models (GLM). Mineral waters showed contamination by the following: E. coli, P. aeruginosa, A. hydrophila and A. caviae. It was concluded that of all ten tested brands, at least one sample of each brand was improper for consumption, for not meeting the parameters established by legislation in at least two tests; the Most Probable Number (MPN) for Pseudomonas spp. and P. aeruginosa was influenced by seasonality and the count of heterotrophic bacteria; the Most Probable Number (MPN) of coliform and thermotolerants and research of Aeromonas spp. suffered no significant influence of seasonality.