It would seem that it is simpler - I came to the store, bought a couple of the first bottles of water that I came across - and drink to your health! But in reality, everything is a little more complicated. Even the most beautiful label and high price do not guarantee water quality. We tried to understand all the nuances of this issue and now we know for sure what we will drink this summer.
Mineral or Drinking?
A significant proportion of bottled drinking water is produced from regular tap water. It differs from the one that flows in your apartment only in that it undergoes additional processing. In particular, all salts are completely removed from it, and then enriched with useful minerals. Sanitary rules allow this to be done. According to our experts, the quality of drinking water on Russian counters is generally satisfactory. If you do not know which one to choose, they recommend buying those brands that are, as they say, popular. Well-known brands usually have a strict quality control system in their production.
Mineral water, unlike drinking water, is bottled directly from the well. It is not strongly purified and does not change its chemical composition. Only aeration, filtration, degassing, carbonation, and treatment with some preservatives are allowed. It is believed that such water is the richest in nutrients. But for the same reason, it cannot meet the strict safety standards for ordinary - drinking - water. Only table mineral waters are suitable for daily consumption, not medicinal mineral waters.
Do not think that the best water is necessarily brought from far away. Those that are mined, say, in the Moscow region, are also good in composition.
How to read the label?
Shelf life. Water can also deteriorate. It can be stored in glass bottles for up to 2 years, in plastic bottles - 18 months. Look at the bottling date and count.
Chemical and physical analysis. How many and what elements are in water? There must be a table with numbers on the label.
Mineral or Drinking? On the label of natural underground water, the number of the well is always indicated from where it was taken. If water is poured into the bottle from the central water supply system, this is also recorded in the label in an explicit or veiled form. For example, like this: "water from the central heating system of city X".
Tara. Glass is considered the safest. However, it is too heavy to carry with you. As for the rest of the materials, it is important that the bottle is not made of polyvinyl chloride (marked as "PVC"). It is extremely toxic.
Roskontrol test: bottled water
"Senezhskaya" (mineral table water), "Bobimex"
Delicious, physiologically complete in terms of macro- and microelement composition. This water contains enough calcium, fluorine, and magnesium. Suitable for constant drinking. A slight excess in lithium content, but in mineral water, unlike drinking water, this is permissible. Confident 1st place. But this is not the only winner.
"Arkhyz" (mineral water), "Arkhyz"
Another leader of our tests. This water does not contain contaminants or heavy metals, and all possible safety indicators are normal. The competitor's taste is also pleasant, "transparent". The only thing for which one can find fault with "Arkhyz" is that there is little fluoride in this water. However, also 1st place.
Nestle Pure Life (drinking water), Nestle
Absolutely safe and tasty water at the same time. The indicators of organic pollution are low, no heavy metals were found. She doesn't even have colors, as befits water (by the way, other contestants have)! Of the serious shortcomings, perhaps only the absence of fluorine can be distinguished. Therefore, an honorable 2nd place.
BonAqua (drinking water), Coca-Cola HBC
The content of ammonium cations is exceeded in this water. This means that organic pollution has entered the water. It is likely that the BonAqua was not cleaned well enough in production, and as a result, the contestant did not meet safety requirements. The second important disadvantage is the absence of fluoride. 3rd place.
"Shishkin Les" (drinking water), LLC "Shishkin Les"
The total microbial count in water is measured at temperatures of 22 ° C and 37 ° C. So, at 22 ° C in the "Shishkin Les", experts found microbes - 25 times more than expected! The composition also leaves much to be desired. There are no complaints only about the amount of fluoride. 4th place.
Baikal (drinking water), VAIKALSEA company
In this water, when heated to 37 ° C, the number of microbes is 140 times higher than the maximum permissible standards! A very serious violation. As for the composition, it is also, to put it mildly, not very good. This water contains little calcium, magnesium and fluoride. 5th place.
How much water should you drink per day?
An adult needs 30 ml of water for every kilogram of weight, and for people over 50 years old- 30–35 ml - this is confirmed by medical research.
Our body has been working all its life on the principle of a pool from a children's puzzle: water flows into it through some pipes, and out through others. The bulk of the fluid is excreted, of course, through the kidneys - about 1,5
l per day.
With then leaves 300–600
ml. Almost 400
ml we exhale through the lungs. The two previous graphs of consumption increase significantly in the heat, as well as during physical exertion. Finally, 200
ml leave through the intestines.
It turns out that in a day just for replacement, we need to consume at least 2,5 l!
When calculating your minimum, keep in mind that we do not only drink water. It is found in most foods (see chapter "Solid form"). From food we get about 0.7 ml. -1 l. Yet 300–400 ml is formed in the body.
For example, when we lose weight, carbon dioxide is released from fat and water is converted: 100 g of fat is obtained 107 g of water (more due to the oxygen added during the reaction).
If we add up all these numbers, it turns out that to maintain balance in the body, we need to drink at least 1 l per day, and if you do not eat soups, then from 1,5 l.
! Most expensive worldwide, Fillico Beverly Hills water is produced in Japan and costs $ 100 per bottle decorated with Swarovski crystals. Collect it from the natural source of Kobe.
When the amount of water needs to be increased
In some cases, you need to drink more intensely than we are used to.
On sports days, when visiting a sauna, in hot weather - 30-100% more than usual.
For nursing mothers - by 50-200%.
If you smoke and drink strong alcohol - by 50-70%.
During ARVI or other infection - by 30-50%.
After sex - a couple of glasses of water.
During a diet. The less you eat, the more you need to drink, because the body does not get enough water from food.
Women need to drink more water per kg of body weight than men
Water in food
The amount of water contained in food.
Vegetables and fruits 80–95%
Milk 88%
Cottage cheese 65-78%
Eggs 74%
Raw fish 75-80%
Raw meat 60-70%
Porridge 60-70%
Cheese 40-50%
Bread 40-45%
Mineral waters: which complex to choose?
■ Glandular contains more than 1 mg of iron per liter.
Recommended for people suffering from iron deficiency anemia.
Contraindicated in those with stomach problems.
How do you choose the best bottled water?
DRINKING WATER
First category drinking water must first of all be safe. To prove its safety, it is necessary to check in the laboratory not only whether it contains, for example, microbes. It is necessary to test water for 93 indicators.
For example, on bottles of water "Bon Aqua" and "Aqua Minerale" it is written: water from a centralized source of water supply, that is, tap water.
Is this water safe for health? Yes. Helpful? Not always. There are already few useful elements in water from surface sources, and the use of modern cleaning methods often completely reduces their content to zero.
Why is it so important that the water contains minerals and trace elements in a certain amount?
Andrey Mosov, head of the expert area of NP Roskontrol, doctor:
“There is such a concept - the physiological usefulness of drinking water. If the water lacks some minerals and trace elements, then it will not be complete and useful for humans. If there is no calcium and magnesium in the water, then the consumption of such water will contribute to the development of a deficiency of these substances in the body. Calcium is the main element of our skeletal system, magnesium is essential for the normal functioning of the nervous system and heart. Lack of fluoride causes caries, lack of iodine causes thyroid disease. "
It is drinking water of the highest category that is the safest and most useful.
MINERAL WATER
In no case should you drink mineral water without restrictions. It, like any medicine, should be prescribed by a doctor, in certain doses, in a certain course. Therefore, it is called so - a medical dining room.
And what is happening with us? Medicinal and medicinal-table mineral water (such as "Narzan", "Essentuki", "Borjomi") is sold in any store. People buy, drink and do not pay attention to the small print “Medical indications for use”.
ARTESIAN WATER
This is water that is extracted from wells, from where it comes under pressure. Typically, these are wells with a depth of at least 100 meters, drilled into aquifers protected from pollution. Therefore, bacteria and harmful chemicals that are on the surface are usually not there.
Water is purified by passing through natural filter rocks, but at the same time it is saturated with various minerals. Passing through limestone, it "collects" calcium and magnesium. And passing through other layers and ores, it is saturated with other substances that are not always useful. Most often, iron. And this is not the iron found in meat and apples. Iron in those compounds in which it is in drinking water is not absorbed by the body, but it spoils the taste of water, and in large quantities can cause gastrointestinal upset.
Yuri Rakhmanin, Academician of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Director of the Research Institute of Human Ecology and Environmental Hygiene named after V.I. A.N. Sysina:
“Artesian water needs careful study and detailed analysis. In some cases, when there are too many harmful substances in it, it is not only forbidden to drink it, but even to use it for domestic purposes. It so happens that all the elements are normal, and one at a time - an excess of 5 or even 10 times, and, of course, such water cannot be used in unlimited quantities. There are artesian springs, in which nature created physiologically high-grade water. Producers who spill water from such wells are very lucky. They only need to carry out minimal purification and treatment of the water, and that's it - it is ready for packaging. But there are very few such sources. "
BABY WATER
A child needs more water than an adult. A growing organism needs 2-3 times more water. That is, if an adult weighing 60 kg requires 2 liters of water per day, then a three-year-old child, whose weight is 4 times less, drinks 1-1.3 liters of water per day.
What if this water contains iron, lead, arsenic and other toxic substances? They are deposited in the child's body 2-3 times more.
The child needs special drinking water for children, in which the composition of minerals and trace elements is ideally balanced.
GLACIAL, MOUNTAIN AND MELT WATER
People have attributed life-giving power to melt water for a long time, and even in the scientific community there is an opinion that it really has special properties.
According to some reports, melt water accelerates plant growth and increases the biological activity of living organisms. When water freezes, its structure changes, and the water that forms as a result of the melting of glaciers of mountain peaks is really cleaner and more useful than, for example, water from rivers that is polluted as a result of mismanagement of humans and then disinfected with chlorine.
conclusions
The safest, highest quality and healthiest water for adults - drinking water of the highest category.
For children - special baby drinking(not mineral!) water... Only such water can be drunk every day in unlimited quantities.
Mineral water medical-dining room and, moreover, medical can be taken only as prescribed by a doctor.
As soon as summer takes its toll and it gets hot, we remember to drink water. A plastic bottle with a credible label can be found on every corner today, but do you know the origin of the water you drink? We will tell you how to choose table water for drinking, as well as mineral water for medicinal purposes.
How to choose drinking water
- The shelf life of water in a plastic bottle is one and a half years, in a glass bottle - up to two years.
- The hardest thing to counterfeit is mineral water in a glass bottle.
- Pay attention to the label: it must be well-printed, well readable, glued evenly and neatly.
- Reputable manufacturers always indicate what kind of water is contained in the bottle: drinking, carbonated, mineral, medicinal, table water. You can drink only table water without restrictions. Healing mineral water is a medicine and has indications and contraindications.
- If the water bears the name of the source, find the address of the production on the label - it should be located near this source.
- There is no sediment or suspension in a bottle with quality drinking water.
- Remember: high prices do not guarantee high quality!
Artesian water is extracted from deep underground sources. This is a storehouse of minerals necessary for the human body for life. Choose it, and not just purified tap water, which, going through the stages of purification, has lost all its useful properties.
Perrier mineral water Is one of the most famous brands in the world. Mineral water in pot-bellied glass bottles is sold in 140 countries. It is bottled from sources in the south of France near the town of Vergese. Perrier has recently been producing water with lemon or lime added - it is good thirst quencher and does not contain artificial flavors.
Real "Selterskaya" Is a mineral water with a reduced carbon dioxide content, from a source in Germany, located in the city of Lenberg and named after Queen Augusta Victoria. The name of seltzer water comes from the German mineral spring Selters, known throughout Europe in the 19th century.
Real mineral water "Borjomi" today, only one company produces - IDS Borjomi Georgia, which is part of the international IDS Borjomi International. "Borjomi" in bottles is sold only carbonated. For those who drink it for medicinal purposes, doctors recommend first releasing the gas.
"Arkhyz" Is low-mineralized drinking water suitable for adults and children. It is mined in the village of the same name in Karachay-Cherkessia.
"Narzan"- this is not a general name for a variety of mineral water, but a mineral spring in Kislovodsk. There cannot be any "Narzans" from other places, except perhaps forged ones.
"Essentuki"- not just a brand, this water should be bottled precisely from a well located at the Essentuki mineral water deposit. Look for the exact number of the well on the Essentukov label. The water from the Essentuki spring has a different degree of mineralization. For example, the concentration of salts in water "Essentuki-17" is 9.2-13.0 g / l, this is the most mineralized, very salty-tasting medicinal water. Mineralization of water "Essentuki-4" is lower - 6.0-9.0 g / l, therefore it is referred to as medicinal table waters.
A person needs from one and a half to three liters of clean water daily - this is without taking into account the liquid taken with food (for example, with soup or tea).
Choosing mineral water
- On the label of medicinal mineral waters, it is always indicated for what diseases they should be used.
- The label must indicate: the address and phone numbers of the manufacturer, the well number, the composition of the water, the date of manufacture, the conditions and shelf life, the GOST number, the date of the chemical analysis and the name of the laboratory.
- The specific taste of mineral water is due to the presence of salts.
- If there are any components in the water that are peculiar only to it, they should also be listed on the label.
- Hydrocarbonate water has a slightly “soapy” taste.
- Brackish mineral water is due to the presence of chlorides.
- Sulfates give the water a bitter taste.
- Expensive mineral water is not always the best. Often these are marketing costs, overhead costs.
Comment on the article "Bottled drinking water: how to choose high quality?"
Section: Housekeeping (High-quality drinking water). Please advise water. It cleans tap water, cools and heats up. Then we took the water for analysis, good. At home I buy in 5-liter bottles of Societe Minerale from 5, for drinking.
Section: School problems (Drinking water). who has such water at school. If anyone has such water at school, ask plz, does it taste normal? Our senior has a cooler with Eden's water at school, clean, good water. so it's not true that children buy the most ...
about drinking water - and a cooler. Eating at home. A matter of taste. Everything about tasty and healthy food, as well as drinking water - and a cooler. I'm tired of carrying 5 liter cans, I want a cooler. looked after from the bottom We buy 19 liter bottles in Globus for 179 rubles and throw them away later.
Bottled drinking water: how to choose quality? Sulfates give the water a bitter taste. Expensive mineral water is not always the best.But here there was a minus, the tap water was just awful, it smelled strongly of bleach (and We don't even know how polluted ...
We bought a cooler, order water and buy disposable glasses. The teacher does not deal with water, it is the parents who should. 2. A drinking bottle of water is a personal item. If you have something to pour water into - please, no - think about your water yourself.
Bottled drinking water: how to choose quality? Healing mineral water is a medicine and has indications and contraindications. For tea, it is quite logical to order clean water = now a lot of companies carry water to the apartment ...
Drinking regime in schools ?. School. Child from 7 to 10. Non-working cooler in recreation (As he said, having seen it there, my MCH is for the best) 11/19/2009 1:21:35 PM, Mamusja. The water should be at room temperature, so if you buy a cooler, it is the simplest one, only ...
Water. Help. About her, about the girl's. Discussion of questions about a woman's life in the family, at work, relationships with men. I ask because I was tortured to carry 5-liter bottles from the store (the child drinks a lot of water at home, takes him to school, to training).
About drinking water. - get-togethers. About her, about the girl's. Discussion of questions about a woman's life in the family, at work, relationships with men. And if you buy, which one? And in general, do you think it is safe to boil tap water for food in Moscow?
As the water in the bottle heats up to the desired temperature, I pour the mixture. It's just that the water in the thermos can cool down during this time, and I would still take a third of boiling water for water. And cold drinking water in a bottle, you can drink it, and dilute the mixture, adding to ...
As far as I understand, the quality of water after a good filter is in no way inferior to the bottle water, the filter will live under the sink, the faucet is quite decent, and, most importantly, they will install it themselves - we are finishing the repair I buy drinking water in 5 liter bottles. It's hard to carry ...
drinking water. - get-togethers. Household. Housekeeping: tips on housekeeping, cleaning We don't have a good filter and it's already difficult to install. Children drink a lot of water. That is why I want to buy a cooler and not toil. And in the case of a filter, the solution to this issue will drag on ...
The idea came to me to order drinking water in 20 liter bottles at home. Now thinking - just take a pump or a cooler with heating and cooling? There is also an option with a heater - like a cooler, but without cooling.
Tap water .. On vacation with children. Tourist package. Traveling abroad and in Russia: buying a tour, booking a hotel, visa, passport In Turkey, you can wash your face and brush your teeth with tap water in good hotels. But they do not recommend drinking it, not because there ...
Bottled drinking water: how to choose quality? Seltzer water's name comes from the German mineral springs Selters, known in Wrote a review for those interested in sunscreen for children.
There are no harmful additives in distilled water. Bottled drinking water: how to choose quality? the filter and boiled water are not much different ... baby water, it seems, is boiled, at our plant they did not make a baby water ... in the sediment, most often there is nothing to worry about ...
filter for drinking water. Appliances. Household. Housekeeping: tips on housekeeping, cleaning, buying and using Is it possible to buy a kettle-type filter, you pour water there and it is slowly filtered, and after a few hours you can drink this water ...
delivery of drinking water. ... I find it difficult to choose a section. Bottled drinking water: how to choose quality? +1000. There is always water in the classroom, but I always give a bottle of water, then suddenly glasses 2. A drinking bottle of water is a personal item.
Bottled drinking water: how to choose quality? You can drink only table water without restrictions. Drinking water in primary school. Help! Giving a bottle of water is the solution. Some are water lovers, who are not. Teach you not to drink water with strangers from the same bottle.
Drinking water. ... A child from birth to one year. Then they looked at the sediment, and began to buy bottled baby water "Vinnie" We say that a child up to 1 month old needs to boil water from bottles, and then give it this way, or even better give boiled water from under ...
As part of the rolling research of Roskachestvo, 58 samples of still drinking water, the most popular on the Russian market, were studied. Laboratory tests were carried out on 98 indicators of quality and safety. The cost of products at the time of purchase ranged from 20 to 260 rubles. The overwhelming majority of goods were manufactured in Russia, at the same time, products from Armenia, Georgia, Italy, Norway, Finland, and France were presented in the fan study. According to the results of laboratory tests, the goods of only nine brands confirmed their high quality, as they met not only the requirements of the current standards for quality and safety, but also the requirements of the leading Roskachestvo standard. We are talking about water under the trade marks "Volzhanka", "Lipetsk pump room", "Novoterskaya", "Oh! Our Family ”,“ Simple Good ”, ARCTIC, AQUANICA (5 liters), Bon Aqua and EVIAN. All these products, with the exception of water under the EVIAN trademark, are produced in Russia, and therefore the producers of high-quality water were offered an offer to undergo a voluntary certification procedure, after which a decision will be made to award the goods with the Russian Quality Mark. Products under the EVIAN trademark cannot qualify for the Russian Quality Mark due to their foreign origin. The study showed that, in general, most of the products tested can be considered high-quality and safe, but laboratory tests have identified 12 products with violations.
STANDARD OF THE RUSSIAN QUALITY SYSTEM
The standard of the Russian quality system established for drinking water without gas, claiming the Russian Quality Mark, stricter (advanced) requirements for the content of harmful and potentially hazardous chemicals, pesticides and some insecticides.
Also, stricter requirements were introduced for the smell of water, the phenolic index of its composition and the hydrogen index. In general, packaged drinking water, claiming the right to be labeled with the Russian Quality Mark, must meet the requirements of physiological usefulness for water of the highest category (with the exception of certain indicators). The required level of localization of products for the awarding of the Russian Quality Mark is at least 98% of the cost of goods.
What kind of water is there?
In the mind of the consumer, bottled water is divided into two categories: carbonated and non-carbonated water. Roskachestvo chose water without gas as the subject of its first research on water. It presents water of three different classes: drinking water of the first category, drinking water of the highest category and mineral drinking watera... Consumers are advised to pay special attention to the category of water indicated on the label. The fact is that water, depending on the category, varies greatly in its properties and origin. So:
First category drinking water- this is raw water without treatment or that has undergone water treatment, which can be obtained from various sources (for example, from a banal water supply system). After filtration, elements useful for humans are introduced into the water. The main mandatory requirement for a product in this category is its complete safety for human health.
Drinking water of the highest category- water, which, as a rule, is extracted from reliably protected water sources (for example, from artesian wells, springs). Products of the highest category, in contrast to the "first-class", in addition to safety, must carry mandatory benefits for the consumer. The requirements for such water are much stricter than for the goods of the first category. Moreover, for water of the highest category, additional requirements have been established for its physiological usefulness, for the content of biologically essential macro- and microelements, for which not only maximum maximum permissible concentrations have been established, but also minimum and optimal norms of physiological usefulness for humans.
Mineral table drinking water Is water obtained from a well, which has a registered and confirmed initial physicochemical and microbial composition of substances. That is, useful (and sometimes not the most useful) elements are already laid down in it by nature. The requirements for mineral water, in comparison with drinking water, are much milder, since the mineral composition of such water is difficult to predict (it depends on the well), which means that it is poorly amenable to standardization.
By the way, another category of mineral water is medicinal water(for example, these are goods under the trade marks "Essentuki", "Narzan", etc.). These products are not presented in this rolling research of Roskachestvo, since they are a specific product. Such water is not suitable for regular consumption and should ideally be prescribed by doctors when patients have certain health problems.
Finally, as follows from the above, drinking water can also be classified according to its origin: it can be created, as they say, by nature itself (for example, extracted from a well) or artificially created by man (for example, taken from a water supply system, purified and subjected to "modification") ... However, as the study showed, the origin of drinking water will not be a determining criterion for its quality and composition.
Perfect environment. All about microbiological safety
It is known that in the case of water, safety is a doubly important issue. First, the person drinks water regularly. Secondly, many consumers have long formed their preferences and use the products of certain manufacturers, perhaps not knowing the health consequences.
One of the key indicators of water safety is the so-called TMC (total microbial count). It is almost identical to the QMAFAnM indicator, with which some manufacturers of goods on the market have serious problems. Exceeding this indicator may indirectly indicate the presence of pathogenic bacteria or viruses in the water, as well as a violation of the operating modes of water treatment and bottling systems.
As laboratory tests have shown, in water that has undergone thorough industrial treatment, that is, drinking water of the first and highest category, no problems in terms of general microbiological contamination have been identified.
However, three samples of mineral table drinking water turned out to be very "alive": a relatively large number of bacteria were found in their composition. As mentioned above, these could be pathogenic bacteria or viruses. They can have a negative effect on the human body, in particular on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. The severity of the diseases caused depends on the type of bacteria and on the toxicity of the poisons they release. Mandatory safety requirements in this part were violated by manufacturers of goods under the Arkhyz, Elbrus, Biovita brands. However, it should be noted that the presence of an increased number of microbes in the water is not always the manufacturer's fault. Perhaps the rules for transporting the goods or the conditions for their storage were violated.
The revealed inconsistencies were recorded only in mineral water, since it is not subjected to additional processing, but is extracted from natural sources.
Hard liquid. About the hardness of drinking water
Water hardness is one of the defining characteristics of this product category. Hard water, even when applied externally, dries the skin, and when taken internally, it is at least bitter. This characteristic is closely related to the presence of calcium and magnesium salts in the liquid in water, that is, the more there are, the higher its hardness. Quite often, ordinary tap water has a high coefficient of hardness. By the way, the hardness of water is easy to determine at home: the white sediment that remains on the dishes after boiling will tell about this.
However, the conclusions from this laboratory test are encouraging: frankly hard, which means, bitter water was not found in the study. In contrast, 17 water samples of the first category and four samples of mineral water were noted as soft enough.
The same could be said about the water of the highest category of Nordica, but for it “softness” was more critical. The fact is that the Russian requirements for water of the highest category also set a lower threshold for values for the parameter of hardness. Nordica water turned out to be too soft for its category, which means that it cannot be fully called "drinking water of the highest category", which automatically indicates a violation of consumers' rights to reliable labeling.
Dry residue from water: about total mineralization
Theoretically, any water, except distilled water, can be called mineral in one sense or another. In its pure form, H 2 O does not occur in nature, and for the human body such water is more harmful than useful. The fact is that pure water, not saturated with salts, will "draw out" and remove salts from the body. That is, long-term use of such water will definitely lead to serious diseases. Therefore, any water sold in stores contains dozens of different inorganic compounds.
In order to understand how much the water contains various mineral and organic substances, in laboratory conditions, the indicators of the total salinity of the dry residue are determined, that is, the actual mass of substances after evaporation of the water, and the total salinity of drinking water is also calculated from the indicators of the content of anions and cations.
According to the results of laboratory tests, in 13 samples of drinking water of the first category, a relatively low level of total mineralization was recorded. However, let us recall, this water does not pretend to be useful, it is "enough" for it to be safe.
It is another matter that in the water declared as "drinking water of the highest category" under the trademark Norda (Italy) there were only 77 mg / l of minerals, while the median values of other water in the corresponding category were 200-300 mg / l. That is, in fact, this water cannot be considered a product of the highest category, which is a violation of consumers' rights to reliable labeling.
As for the mineral table drinking water, according to the results of the study, in six of its samples the content of the total mineralization of mineral salts is suboptimal (from the point of view of the Unified Sanitary-Epidemiological and Hygienic Requirements for Goods), that is, it does not satisfy the physiological need of a person (respectively, in four of them less, two more). This is not a violation, however, these goods are deprived of the opportunity to qualify for the Russian Quality Mark.
Can I help you. All about anions and cations
Any drinking water, depending on the brand, water source, method of purification and enrichment with microelements, geography and even the depth of the well, is a unique cocktail of substances called anions and cations (positive and negative ions). So, for example, cations include potassium, magnesium, iron, and anions - sulfates, fluorine and iodine. The content of these substances is often indicated by the product label, which indicates their percentage. It is difficult for an unprepared person to read it, so we suggest you use this short note, where all the pros and cons of anions and cations contained in water are described.
Separately, in this part of the study, it is worth dwelling on the problem of calcium and magnesium content in water. First, it is believed that these elements affect the correct functioning of the musculoskeletal system and the cardiovascular system. Secondly, the main discrepancy with the declared values on the label was found precisely in terms of calcium and magnesium. For example, a relatively low magnesium content was found in six samples of drinking water of the first category and in six samples of mineral table drinking water. The situation was better with the calcium content. But all this does not apply to water of the highest category, where a lack of magnesium was noted in three products, calcium - in one. Due to stricter requirements for drinking water of the highest category, manufacturers of goods under the trademarks "Billa", "Glavvoda", "D" ("Dixy") and "Norda" violated consumer rights to reliable product labeling.
A similar problem was revealed in the highest category drinking water under the Courtois trademark - much less iodine was found in it than the manufacturer promised.
Also, four samples of drinking water of the highest category contained less fluoride than indicated on the label. And this element has a positive effect on the health of teeth and bone tissue.
The form affects the content. About the container into which the water is poured
Any water, be it at least as safe, of high quality and useful as possible, can always be easily spoiled in production. And this can be done with the help of a dubious container into which liquid is poured. It is believed that the safest container for humans is glass - water simply cannot enter into any reaction with it at a chemical level. The same cannot be said about plastic - it, especially when heated, can potentially release substances harmful to health into water. In the course of laboratory tests, traces of such a "migration" of substances were not recorded. In terms of safety, water in plastic containers did not differ on average from water in glass bottles. Nevertheless, glass is the choice for those who want to receive the maximum guarantees for the safety of their drinking water.
For reference:
Pay attention to the drinking water label. Often there is a note on it: "store in places protected from light." The water really needs to be kept away from light, as light causes water blooms. Of course, the water in which algae and other life forms develop their vital activity will be considered contaminated.
A substance without taste, color, odorless: on the aesthetic properties of water
Water is perhaps the most organoleptically neutral commodity imaginable. It will be difficult for an ordinary consumer to single out and somehow describe the taste, color, smell of water. At the same time, a person usually prefers a certain brand of water, and a third-party product can irritate both taste buds and their owner.
In general, the taste of water can be influenced by various mineral salts and their percentage, the smell - by the features of a particular well, the color will vary depending on the presence of various mechanical impurities or minerals in the composition. It is important to note that in laboratory conditions, the assessment of organoleptic properties is carried out at two temperature conditions, as required by the leading Roskachestvo standard. First, the water is heated to 20, and then to 60 degrees Celsius.
Almost all the water presented in the study under these conditions showed itself to be a high-quality product, at least in terms of aesthetic properties. The experts were confused by the color (chromaticity) of only one sample - drinking water of the first category "Uleimskaya". It differed significantly from the values of the mandatory requirements, which, however, does not mean the danger of such water. From the point of view of microbiology, the sample is completely safe. It is possible that the color deviation could be influenced by the container characteristics or the water storage conditions.
