Some bottled water brands are found to contain nitrate above the permissible levels and the FDA will announce the final results of their analysis of packaged drinking water next week, said head of the Food and Drug Administration, Rasoul Dinarvand.
Last month, Health Minister Hassan Hashemi had directed the FDA to check content and packaging of all bottled water brands in the country. He had also instructed the public health watchdog to determine the genuine brands of mineral water and whether the packaging material or process is harmful to human health.
“The task is almost done and the detailed results will be announced soon,” Dinarvand said.
In the last Iranian year (ended March 20,) 10 from among 300 brands of bottled water were declared unhealthy for consumption and the FDA cancelled their licenses.
Dinarvand noted that some companies were using groundwater due to which higher levels of nitrates and nitrites were found in bottled water.
Additionally, the plastic used for packaging water may also contain harmful polymers that can affect the water.
He said, “Several bottled water companies provide false information on the package labels which do not match the contents.”
Regular Tests
“The quality of tap water in Tehran is good and citizens can consume it without any worry,” said Ali Akbar Sayyari, deputy health minister allaying concerns over the city’s drinking water supply.
Tehran tap water is regularly tested by laboratories of the Ministry of Energy and the University of Medical Sciences, Mehr News Agency quoted him as saying.
“The criteria for setting water quality standards include measuring levels of nitrate, chlorine, microbes and heavy metals in different areas of the city. Except for limited amounts of nitrate, none of the others have been detected.”
Ground water with high levels of nitrate is harmful but “we hope the launching of Qamar-e Banihashem pipeline in the city will help address the problem,” Sayyari added.
The cross-city 130 km pipeline project (also called Tehran Water Ring) is part of the Comprehensive Water Supply Plan for Tehran, and will help connect seven water treatment facilities and ensure stable water quality and supply across the capital.
