Investigation of carbonyl compounds (acetaldehyde and formaldehyde) in bottled waters in Iranian markets

The contamination of water bottles has become a very serious problem attracting more and more concerns due to the possibility of acetaldehyde and formaldehyde migration from PET bottles. Therefore, the study aims to assess the extent of acetaldehyde and formaldehyde migration from polyethylene terephthalate bottles of different manufacturers into bottle contents in relation to the storage time and at room temperature sold in Iranian markets. Twenty typical brands of PET-bottled water samples were purchased from supermarkets and shops in Iran between April and May 2015. In this study, the levels of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde were determined using a high performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC). All bottled water samples in Iranian supermarkets and shops had detectable levels of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde. Minimum and maximum levels of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde in this study varied between 12-45 pg/l and 25-120 pg/l, respectively. The average levels of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde in Iranian bottled waters were 28.6 pg/l and 61.3 pg/l, respectively. Overall, it could be stated that the bottled waters, available in Iran, are safe for the human consumption, as regards the levels of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde.