Abstract

Background: A critical problem in most developing countries is providing adequate and safe drinking water to their populace. It is estimated that 2.2 billion people do not have access to safely managed drinking water and that water use has increased six fold over the past century. This study determined physicochemical properties and the presence of microbial contaminants in sachet water samples around the Lead City University, Ibadan, Oyo State.


Materials and Methods: Samples of different brands of sachet water were analysed for physicochemical properties and microbial contamination. Physicochemical analysis was done using hand held water analyzer while microbial contaminants were determined using culture, biochemical tests and cell morphology of isolates.


Results: The physicochemical properties of the water samples in this study were in line with the recommended values by WHO (2017), except carbon monoxide, which was found to be higher in nine out of the ten samples investigated. Bacteria found in the brands of sachet water were Staphylococcus aureus (38.64%), Staphylococcus saprophyticus (4.54%), Escherichia coli (25.00%), Acinetobacter iwoffii (4.54%), Acinetobacter haemolyticus (2.27%)., Enterobacter agglomerans (9.09%), Bacillus cereus (6.81%), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (9.09%).. The prevalence of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus was much higher than other organisms. Isolates obtained during this study showed appreciable sensitivity and resistance to antibiotics such as Ampiclox, Cotrimoxazole, and Gentamicin.


Conclusion: The majority of the sachet water samples under investigation may need to be more portable and suitable for public consumption as they were found to contain high levels of carbon monoxide and multidrug-resistant microbial contaminants that could become threatening to human health.


Keywords: Water, Physicochemical, Microbial, Bacteria, Contaminants