MINERAL WATERS IIQ 



bottling establishments. A general opinion prevails that mineral 

 waters are free from germs, due to the germ-destroying properties 

 of the mineral salts present. This is not the case. Many mineral 

 waters from contaminated sources or from unsanitary bottling 

 establishments contain bacteria in large numbers, 300,000,000 per 

 cc. and more. Even a medicinal water composed of concentrated 

 ocean water (Magpotine) gave a count of 10,000 bacteria per cc. 

 The Bureau of Chemistry has found mineral waters contaminated 

 with sewage. Often the contamination is traceable to the inade- 

 quate cleansing and sterilizing of used bottles and to the dirty 

 hands of those employed in the factory. 



The bacteriological examination of mineral waters consists in 

 making the presumptive colon bacillus test and in making bacte- 

 rial counts by the plating method. It is, however, also desirable 

 to make direct microscopical examinations, including quantitative 

 cytometric counts of concentrates (i liter quantities reduced to 

 10 cc.)'and of centrifugalized samples, as already explained. This 

 will give information regarding factory conditions which could not 

 be ascertained by the usual plating methods. 



In the case of bottled mineral waters, the securing, handling and 

 shipping of samples is a very simple matter as no extra precautions 

 and care are necessary. In the case of water from mineral springs 

 or artificial waters in bulk, the securing of samples for examination 

 must be done carefully 'to guard against outside contamination. 

 Containers for samples must be clean and sterile and as soon as the 

 sample is taken the container must be closed with a sterilized cork 

 or other suitable stopper, sealed and taken to the laboratory by the 

 shortest route for immediate examination. If the samples are to 

 be transported long distances or if for any other reason, the 

 examinations must be postponed for from 6 hr. to several days, the 

 sample must be kept on ice during the entire period. 



Mineral waters are or should be quite free from bacteria and 

 other contaminating organisms. As yet no standards have been 

 adopted as to the maximum number of bacteria and other organ- 



