UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



BULLETIN No. 3< 



S^J9''^>J'U 



Contribution from the Bureau of Chemistry 

 CARL L. ALSBERG, Chief 



J^^^^U 



Washington, D. C. 



PROFESSIONAL PAPER 



May 26, 1916 



BACTERIA IN COMMERCIAL BOTTLED WATERS. 



By Maud Mason Obst, Bacteriological Chemist. 



CONTENTS. 



Introduction 1 



Significance of bacteria in potable waters 2 



Inspection of springs 3 



Examination of commercial bottled waters. 



Conclusions 



Tabulated data 



INTRODUCTION. 



During the last six years from 1 to 17 samples of bottled waters 

 from each of 110 American springs and from 57 sources in foreign 

 countries have been examined in the Bacteriological Laboratory of 

 the Bureau of Chemistry.^ A comparative study of the results 

 obtained should, therefore, contribute toward the formation of an 

 opinion as to the freedom from contamination which we have a right 

 to expect and to demand in the case of this product. These bacterio- 

 logical analyses have been brought together and tabulated; and the 

 results of this study have been considered to determine whether the 

 standard adopted by the United States Public Health Service^ for 

 water on trains could be fairly appUed to bottled waters, or whether 

 some other standard would be more just. 



A questionnaire was also sent out to a number of bacteriologists 

 who have been associated with sanitary and aUied problems. This 

 questionnaire was arranged primarily to learn the attitude of a 

 widely distributed group of workers in regard to bacterial tolerance 

 in bottled waters. Of the 49 correspondents who have rephed, 8 

 had not worked upon water sufficiently to feel competent to express 

 any opinion. The remaining 41 rephes are summarized as follows: 

 Eight (19.8 per cent) stated that to them the term ''bottled water" 

 implied an unwritten guaranty of absolute purity;" five (12.1 per 



1 Examinations were made by various members of the Bacteriological Laboratory, including Dr. Geo. W . 

 Stiles, Minnie Jenkins, Carleton Bates, Ruth C. Greathouse, and the author. 



The author wishes to acknowledge the valuable assistance rendered by Dr. Charles Thorn in the prepa- 

 ration of this paper. 



2 y . S. Public Health Reports, 1914, p. 2969. (Not more than one out of five 10 cc portions shall show gas.) 



30614°— Bull. 369—16 



