1. BACETERIOLOGICAL QUALITY OF
BOTTLED WATER IN TRIPOLI-LIBYA
Mohamed M. Elemam, Khalifa Sifaw Ghenghesh*,
Khaled Dahmani, Souad A. El-Megrahi, and
Sana M. Abid
Biotechnology Research Center, Tripoli and
*Dept. of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine,
Tripoli-Libya

2. INTRODUCTION
• Bottled water is now the biggest selling soft
drink in Europe.
• In the UK sales topping 700 million litres in
1994 (Natural Mineral Water Association,
UK).
• In Libya the demand on bottled water has
increased tremendously in recent years and
this trend is expected to continue.
• Data regarding the bacteriological quality of
bottled water in Libya are very few.

3. OBJECTIVE
• To determine the bacteriological quality
of bottled water sold in Tripoli-Libya.

4. MATERIALS & METHODS
• Included in the study 220 samples of bottled
water representing six popular brands sold in
Tripoli.
• Total bacterial count (TBC) and coliforms
were determined.
• Different types of bacteria were isolated and
identified using standard bacteriological
procedures and API 20NE.
• The study was carried out between April September 2002.

5. RESULTS
• TBC ranged between 0.0 - 2.7 x 104
(mean = 1.7 x 103).
• Coliforms were not detected.
• Of the 220 samples examined:
– Pseudomonas were found in 50 (22.7%),
– Gram –ve cocci in 15 (6.8%),
– Gram +ve cocci in 3 (1.4%) and
– Other bacteria in 6 (2.8%).

6. Bacteria isolated from different brands of bottled water
in Tripoli
No (%) positive
Bacteria
Aqua Siwa El-Nabeh Fezzan Janzour Salsabil Tazerbo
(n=22)
(n=35)
(n=30) (n=50) (n=59) (n=24)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Pseudomonas
3(14)
0
16(53)
6(12) 19(32)
6(25)
G-ve cocci
G+ve
cocci
Other bacteria
0
0
0
15(30)
0
0
2(9)
0
0
1(2)
0
0
0
0
0
0
6(10)
0

7. CONCLUSIONS
• According to international standards, all
bottled water samples examined were
acceptable microbiologically.
• However, the detection of Pseudomonas
species, in nearly one fifth of samples
examined, may pose a public health problem
for immunocompromised consumers of such
products.
• More studies are needed to determine the
bacteriological quality of other brands of
bottled water in Libya.