Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Mutagenicity and Phthalate Level of Bottled Water Under Different Storage Conditions

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Exposure and Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Mutagenicity and phthalate level of bottled water are still under-investigated. Five brands of still or carbonated mineral water bottled in PET, glass, or polycarbonate bottles were kept in sunlight or darkness at ambient temperatures or 37 °C for 0, 1, or 4 months. The ultraviolet (UV)-filtering capacity of bottles was also assessed. Concentrated organic fractions were analysed using the Ames test. Diisobutylphthalate (DIBP), diethylhexylphtalate (DEHP), and dibutylphthalate (DBP) were quantified by gas chromatography. Mean values of UVA and UVB reduction by bottle walls were 17 and 70% in PET, 16 and 70% in glass, and 66 and 86% in polycarbonate, respectively. Salmonella TA100 strain proved to be more sensitive than TA98 in the Ames test, and according to the test, we isolated direct-acting mutagens. The most mutagenic samples were identified after 1 month, stored at 37 °C and in sunlight. Water stored in bisphenol A-free polycarbonate was non-mutagenic. Phthalate concentrations were low initially and then ranged between <0.026–0.16 μg/L (DIBP), <0.29–11.72 μg/L (DEHP), and <0.005–0.2 μg/L (DBP); levels were the highest also after 1 month of storage. The highest mutagenicity and phthalate levels were detected similarly after 1 month of storage in mineral water, but mainly in different samples, and we found no significant correlation between them. Levels of phthalates were independent of bottle material. To sum up, natural organics in water can be important sources of mutagenic compound and phthalate formation. However, further analytical measurements should be performed to identify and follow-up the presence of genotoxic compounds in bottled mineral waters.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Asiimwe JK, Quilty B, Muyanja CK, McGuigan KG (2013) Field comparison of solar water disinfection (SODIS) efficacy between glass and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic bottles under sub-Saharan weather conditions. J Water Health 11:729–737. doi:10.2166/wh.2013.197

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bach C, Dauchy X, Chagnon M, Etienne S (2012) Chemical compounds and toxicological assessment of drinking water stored in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles: a source of controversy reviewed. Water Res 46:571–583. doi:10.1016/j.watres.2011.11.062

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bach C, Dauchy X, Severin I, Munoz JF, Etienne S, Chagnon M (2013) Effect of temperature on the release of intentionally and non-intentionally added substances from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles into water: chemical analysis and potential toxicity. Food Chem 139:672–680. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2013.01.046

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Biscardi D, Monarca S, De Fusco R, Senatore F, Poli P, Buschini A, Rossi C, Zani C (2003) Evaluation of the migration of mutagens/carcinogens from PET bottles into mineral water by Tradescantia micronuclei test, Comet Assay on leucocytes and GC-MS. Sci Total Environ 302:101–108. doi:10.1016/S0048-9697(02)00349-2

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bošnir J, Puntarić D, Galić A, Škes I, Dijanić T, Klarić M, Grgić M, Ĉurković M, Šmit Z (2007) Migration of phthalates from plastic containers into soft drinks and mineral water. Food Technol Biotechnol 45:91–95

    Google Scholar 

  • Budán F, Kovács N, Horváth I, Veres D, Engelmann P, Németh P, Szigeti K, Máthé D (2013) PET/MRI/SPECT/CT in vivo longitudinal imaging of Earthworm (Lumbricus terrestris L.) as a novel aspect for toxicological testing. Eur J Nucl Med Mol I 40(2S):419

    Google Scholar 

  • Casajuana N, Lacorte S (2003) Presence and release of phthalic esters and other endocrine disrupting compounds in drinking water. Chromatographia 57:649–655. doi:10.1007/BF02491744

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ceretti E, Zani C, Zerbini I, Guzzella L, Scaglia M, Berna V, Donato F, Monarca S, Feretti D (2010) Comparative assessment of genotoxicity of mineral water packaged in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and glass bottles. Water Res 44:1462–1470. doi:10.1016/j.watres.2009.10.030

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Darowska A, Borcz A, Nawrocki J (2003) Aldehyde contamination of mineral water stored in PET bottles. Food Addit Contam 20:1170–1177. doi:10.1080/02652030310001620441

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • De Fusco R, Monarca S, Biscardi D, Pasquini R, Fatigoni C (1990) Leaching of mutagens into mineral water from polyethylene terephthalate bottles. Sci Total Environ 90:241–248

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • EPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) (2015) Water: chemical contaminant rules. http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/rulesregs/sdwa/chemicalcontaminantrules/basicinformation.cfm. Accessed 29 Nov 2016

  • Ergene E, Çelik A, Çavaş T, Köleli N, Aymak C (2008) The evaluation of toxicity and mutagenicity of various drinking waters in the human blood lymphocytes (HULYs) in vitro. Food Chem Toxicol 46:2472–2475. doi:10.1016/j.fct.2008.04.003

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Erythropel HC, Maric M, Nicell JA, Leask RL, Yargeau V (2014) Leaching of the plasticizer di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) from plastic containers and the question of human exposure. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 98:9967–9981. doi:10.1007/s00253-014-6183-8

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Evandri MG, Tucci P, Bolle P (2000) Toxicological evaluation of commercial mineral water bottled in polyethylene terephthalate: a cytogenetic approach with Allium cepa. Food Addit Contam 17:1037–1045

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gerencsér G, Murányi E, Szendi K, Varga C (2010) Ecotoxicological studies on Hungarian peloids (medicinal muds). Appl Clay Sci 50:47–50. doi:10.1016/j.clay.2010.06.022

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guart A, Bono-Blay F, Borrell A, Lacorte S (2014) Effect of bottling and storage on the migration of plastic constituents in Spanish bottled waters. Food Chem 156:73–80. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2014.01.075

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • IBWA (International Bottled Water Associations) (2016) Bottled water statistics. http://www.bottledwater.org/economics/industry-statistics. Accessed 29 Nov 2016

  • Kayali N, Tamayo FG, Polo-Díez LM (2006) Determination of diethylhexylphtalate in water by solid phase microextraction coupled to high performance liquid chromatography. Talanta 69:1095–1099. doi:10.1016/j.talanta.2005.12.016

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Keogh MB, Castro-Alférez M, Polo-López MI, Fernández Calderero I, Al-Eryani YA, Joseph-Titus C et al (2015) Capability of 19-L polycarbonate plastic water cooler containers for efficient solar water disinfection (SODIS): field case studies in India, Bahrain and Spain. Sol Energy 116:1–11. doi:10.1016/j.solener.2015.03.035

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Keresztes S, Tatár E, Czégény Z, Záray G, Mihucz VG (2013) Study on the leaching of phthalates from polyethylene terephthalate bottles into mineral water. Sci Total Environ 458–460:451–458. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.04.056

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kleinsasser NH, Kastenbauer ER, Weissacher H, Muenzenrieder RK, Harréus UA (2000) Phthalates demonstrate genotoxicity on human mucosa of the upper aerodigestive tract. Environ Mol Mutagen 35:9–12

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Maron DM, Ames BN (1983) Revised methods for the Salmonella mutagenicity test. Mutat Res 113:173–215

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Monarca S, De Fusco R, Biscardi D, De Feo V, Pasquini R, Fatigoni C et al (1994) Studies of migration of potentially genotoxic compounds into water stored PET bottles. Food Chem Toxicol 32:783–788

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Montuori P, Jover E, Morgantini M, Bayona JM, Triassi M (2008) Assessing human exposure to phthalic acid and phthalate esters from mineral water stored in polyethylene terephthalate and glass bottles. Food Addit Contam 25:511–518. doi:10.1080/02652030701551800

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mutsuga M, Kawamura Y, Sugita-Konishi Y, Hara-Kudo Y, Takatori K, Tanamoto K (2006) Migration of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde into mineral water in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles. Food Addit Contam 23:212–218. doi:10.1080/02652030500398361

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nawrocki J, Dabrowska A, Borcz A (2002) Investigation of carbonyl compounds in bottled waters from Poland. Water Res 36:4893–4901. doi:10.1016/S0043-1354(02)00201-4

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Peñalver A, Pocurull E, Borrull F, Marcé RM (2000) Determination of phthalate esters in water samples by solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection. J Chromatogr A 872:191–201

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peterson DL, Staples CA (2003) Degradation of phthalate esters in the environment. In: Staples CA (ed) The handbook of environmental chemistry. Springer, Berlin, pp 85–124

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmid P, Kohler M, Meierhofer R, Luzi S, Wegelin M (2008) Does the reuse of PET bottles during solar water disinfection pose a health risk due to the migration of plasticisers and other chemicals into the water? Water Res 42:5054–5060. doi:10.1016/j.watres.2008.09.025

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Szendi K, Gerencsér G, Murányi E, Varga C (2012) Mutagenic activity of peloids in the Salmonella Ames test. Appl Clay Sci 55:70–74. doi:10.1016/j.clay.2011.09.015

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ubomba-Jaswa E, Fernandez-Ibanez P, Mc Guigan KG (2010) A preliminary Ames fluctuation assay assessment of the genotoxicity of drinking water that has been solar disinfected in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles. J Water Health 8:712–719. doi:10.2166/wh.2010.136

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Valipour M (2015a) Future of agricultural water management in Africa. Arch Agron Soil Sci 61:907–927. doi:10.1080/03650340.2014.961433

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Valipour M (2015b) Land use policy and agricultural water management of the previous half of century in Africa. Appl Water Sci 5:367–395. doi:10.1007/s13201-014-0199-1

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Valipour M (2016a) How much meteorological information is necessary to achieve reliable accuracy for rainfall estimations? Agriculture 6:53. doi:10.3390/agriculture6040053

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Valipour M (2016b) How do different factors impact agricultural water management? Open Agric 1:2391–9531. doi:10.1515/opag-2016-0014

    Google Scholar 

  • Valipour M (2016c) Variations of land use and irrigation for next decades under different scenarios. IRRIGA 1:262–288. doi:10.15809/irriga.2016v1n01p262-288

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Varga C (1991) Genotoxicologic evaluation of ozonated/chlorinated drinking water: cytogenetic effects of XAD-fractions on cultured human cells. Environ Toxicol Chem 10:1029–1035. doi:10.1002/etc.5620100807

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Varga C (2010) Balneoprevention: new approaches. Int J Biometeorol 56:195–197. doi:10.1007/s00484-010-0377-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wegelin M, Canonica S, Alder AC, Marazuela D, Suter MJF, Buchell THD et al (2001) Does sunlight change the material and content of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles? J Water Supply Res Technol 50:125–133

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yannopoulos SI, Lyberatos G, Theodossiou N, Li W, Valipour M, Tamburrino A, Angelakis AN (2015) Evolution of water lifting devices (pumps) over the centuries worldwide. Water 7:5031–5060. doi:10.3390/w7095031

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express their gratitude to all the manufacturers who provided mineral water samples free of charge. The Faculty of Medicine, University of Pécs, Hungary (34039 ÁOK-Post-Doc 2013 and PTE ÁOK-KA-2013/34039) financially supported this work. The present scientific contribution is dedicated to the 650th anniversary of the foundation of the University of Pécs, Hungary.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Public Health Medicine, Medical School, University of Pécs, 12 Szigeti út, Pécs, 7624, Hungary

    Katalin Szendi, Zoltán Gyöngyi, Zsuzsanna Kontár, Gellért Gerencsér, Károly Berényi, Adrienn Hanzel & Csaba Varga

  2. Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, 4 Gellért tér, Budapest, 1111, Hungary

    Jenő Fekete

  3. Faculty of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, 3 Műegyetem rkp., Budapest, 1111, Hungary

    András Kovács

Authors
  1. Katalin Szendi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Zoltán Gyöngyi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Zsuzsanna Kontár
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Gellért Gerencsér
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Károly Berényi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Adrienn Hanzel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Jenő Fekete
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. András Kovács
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Csaba Varga
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zoltán Gyöngyi.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

This article is dedicated to the memory of Professor Jenő Fekete.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (DOCX 21 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Szendi, K., Gyöngyi, Z., Kontár, Z. et al. Mutagenicity and Phthalate Level of Bottled Water Under Different Storage Conditions. Expo Health 10, 51–60 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-017-0246-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-017-0246-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation