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Abstract Background and purpose: Nowadays, tendency to consume bottled water shows significant growth due to increase of demand for safe drinking water, limited resources of fresh water and the public beliefs about the quality of bottled water. The aims of this study were to evaluate the microbial and physicochemical quality of bottled water in Mazandaran province and their heavy metal concentration. Materials and methods: This descriptive-cross sectional study was done in 60 types of 1.5 lit bottled water from 15 different brands which have been bottled in different seasons in Mazandaran province in 2012. We assessed 33 microbial and physicochemical characteristics and concentrations of heavy metals applying standard method and compared them with those recommended by WHO and Iran National Standard Organization. Results: The analyzed samples were 100% in the range of Iran National Standard regarding microbial and physicochemical quality. Among chemical parameters, fluorine (0.01 mg/l) was the least while nickel (0.08 mg/l) and boron (1 mg/l) were the most common. Compared to standard guidelines, among heavy metals, mercury, chrome and lead were found with maximum level (0.001, 0.01 and 0.05 mg/l, respectively). There was no significant difference between the measured and listed values on the labels of bottled water (P<0.05). Conclusion: Results showed that the values of all parameters except Nickel were acceptable and did not exceed the standard guidelines for bottled water quality. However, continuous monitoring of bottled water is necessary since there is an increasing trend in consumption of bottled water and new brands are being distributed in the market.

Keywords: Bottled water, microbial and physicochemical quality, heavy metals

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