ISLAMABAD, July 18: Despite strict checking by the authorities, a large number of companies continue to sell highly contaminated bottled water, according to a study.

A quarterly report issued by the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) has shown that 12 brands of water were found contaminated with high arsenic content.

The PCRWR report compiled by Director Lubna Bukhari said that 12 brands — namely, Pan Pura, Kalash Water, Premier Pure Water, Cool, Kallan Water, Aqua National, Oxigyzer, Aqua Safe, Natur Aqua, Lock,

Best Nation and Active — had arsenic from 12ppb to 44ppb above the PSQCA Water Quality Standard for arsenic.

“The excessive level of arsenic can cause various types of skin diseases, diabetes, kidney diseases, hypertension, heart diseases, birth defects, black foot diseases and multiple types of cancers etc,” the PCRWR report said.

The report said that 10 brands — Elixir, Safi Mineral Water, Sunlay, Aqua Royal, Water Empire, Berg, Lite Wave, Water Plus, Mathar and Sea Breeze — were found to be unsafe due to microbiological contamination which could cause cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery, hepatitis and typhoid etc.

The quarterly monitoring by PCRWR was initiated in the wake of mushroom growth of bottled water industry in the country.

This is mainly due to the poor quality of drinking water being supplied through the public service agencies, and it has forced a cross-section of citizens to buy bottled water.

As a consequence of this expanding market, many of the mineral water companies were began selling contaminated water only to make money through deceiving the consumers.

According to the monitoring report for the quarter April-June, 2013, 86 samples of mineral/bottled water brands have been collected from Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Sialkot, D.G. Khan, D.I. Khan, Multan, Bahawalpur, Tando Jam, Karachi, Quetta, and Peshawar.

Comparison of analytical findings with permissible limits of Pakistan Standard Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) has revealed that 27 brands including Elixir, Natur Aqua, Aqua Safe, Best Nation, Al Sana, Oxigyzer, Lock, Pan Pura, Kalash Pure Water, Premier Pure Water, Safi Mineral Water, NN Welfare, Aqua Royal, Water Empire, Water Plus, Berg, Lite Wave, Oslo, Zindagi, Mathar, Best Water, Sea Breeze, Cool, Kallan Water, Aqua National, Active and Sunlay were found to be unsafe due to chemical or microbiological contamination.

The report has said that seven brands were found unsafe due to the presence of higher levels of sodium, potassium or fluoride.

The PCRWR in its report has suggested that the national quality control and /surveillance authorities should take legal actions against the companies, which are supplying contaminated bottled water to the public and playing havoc with the lives of people.