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Rationale <p> Safe drinking water is essential for public health, particularly in regions like Nigeria where sachet water is widely consumed. Storage conditions significantly influence water quality, affecting both physicochemical parameters and microbial safety. Understanding these effects is crucial for mitigating the risk of waterborne diseases.</p> Objectives <p>This study aimed to evaluate the impact of different storage conditions (refrigeration, room temperature, and outdoor exposure) on the physicochemical and microbiological quality of five selected water types (packaged water, exposed rainwater, filtered water, distilled water, and environmental water) over a three-week period in Yenagoa, Nigeria.</p> Methods <p>Five water types; packaged water (PW), exposed rainwater (ERW), filtered water (FW), distilled water (DW), and environmental water (EW), were purposively selected at production points. A total of 15 sachets per water type were analyzed weekly for parameters including pH, temperature, conductivity, turbidity, dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), taste, color, odor, total plate count (TPC), total coliform count (TCC), and confirmatory coliform presence. Confirmatory microbiological analyses focused on <i>Escherichia coli</i>, <i>Salmonella</i> spp., <i>Vibrio cholerae</i>, and <i>Shigella</i> spp., adhering to WHO and SON standards. Data were tabulated, and trends across storage conditions were assessed over three weeks.</p> Results <p>pH values across all storage conditions remained within WHO (6.5–9.5) and SON (6.0–8.5) limits, ranging from 6.30 to 7.45. Refrigeration maintained temperatures between 21.5 and 23.0&#xa0;°C, while room and outdoor storage conditions saw temperature rises, with outdoor storage exceeding the recommended limits (up to 34.5&#xa0;°C by Week 2). Dissolved oxygen concentrations remained above WHO minimum thresholds (&gt; 4&#xa0;mg/L) but showed slight declines under room temperature (4.2–4.9&#xa0;mg/L) and outdoor storage (4.23–4.95&#xa0;mg/L) by Week 3. BOD values increased under all conditions, reaching 2.8–3.0&#xa0;mg/L outdoors. TPC values rose significantly over the three-week period, with higher counts observed in room temperature (12–19&#xa0;cfu/mL) and outdoor storage (14–22&#xa0;cfu/mL). Total coliform counts, initially zero, increased by Weeks 2–3, particularly in ERW and EW under room temperature (12–14&#xa0;cfu/mL) and outdoor storage (12–16&#xa0;cfu/mL), with confirmatory coliform positivity observed in ERW and EW. No <i>E. coli</i>, <i>Salmonella</i> spp., <i>Vibrio cholerae</i>, or <i>Shigella</i> spp. were detected at any time.</p> Conclusion <p>Storage conditions significantly impact both the physicochemical and microbiological quality of sachet water. Refrigeration effectively preserves water quality, whereas room temperature and outdoor storage promote microbial growth and physicochemical degradation, which can compromise water safety over time.</p> Recommendation <p> Consumers should prioritize refrigeration for sachet water storage where feasible. Regulatory bodies should enforce routine monitoring of sachet water quality and educate the public on safe storage practices. Proper storage is critical to prevent microbial contamination and maintain physicochemical quality, thus reducing the risk of waterborne infections.</p>

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Physicochemical and microbiological changes of sachet water during storage under refrigerated, room temperature, and outdoor conditions in Yenagoa, Nigeria

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月9日

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  • Oyibo Charles,
  • Authority Benson,
  • Eze Chidi,
  • Morufu Olalekan Raimi

摘要

Rationale

Safe drinking water is essential for public health, particularly in regions like Nigeria where sachet water is widely consumed. Storage conditions significantly influence water quality, affecting both physicochemical parameters and microbial safety. Understanding these effects is crucial for mitigating the risk of waterborne diseases.

Objectives

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of different storage conditions (refrigeration, room temperature, and outdoor exposure) on the physicochemical and microbiological quality of five selected water types (packaged water, exposed rainwater, filtered water, distilled water, and environmental water) over a three-week period in Yenagoa, Nigeria.

Methods

Five water types; packaged water (PW), exposed rainwater (ERW), filtered water (FW), distilled water (DW), and environmental water (EW), were purposively selected at production points. A total of 15 sachets per water type were analyzed weekly for parameters including pH, temperature, conductivity, turbidity, dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), taste, color, odor, total plate count (TPC), total coliform count (TCC), and confirmatory coliform presence. Confirmatory microbiological analyses focused on Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Vibrio cholerae, and Shigella spp., adhering to WHO and SON standards. Data were tabulated, and trends across storage conditions were assessed over three weeks.

Results

pH values across all storage conditions remained within WHO (6.5–9.5) and SON (6.0–8.5) limits, ranging from 6.30 to 7.45. Refrigeration maintained temperatures between 21.5 and 23.0 °C, while room and outdoor storage conditions saw temperature rises, with outdoor storage exceeding the recommended limits (up to 34.5 °C by Week 2). Dissolved oxygen concentrations remained above WHO minimum thresholds (> 4 mg/L) but showed slight declines under room temperature (4.2–4.9 mg/L) and outdoor storage (4.23–4.95 mg/L) by Week 3. BOD values increased under all conditions, reaching 2.8–3.0 mg/L outdoors. TPC values rose significantly over the three-week period, with higher counts observed in room temperature (12–19 cfu/mL) and outdoor storage (14–22 cfu/mL). Total coliform counts, initially zero, increased by Weeks 2–3, particularly in ERW and EW under room temperature (12–14 cfu/mL) and outdoor storage (12–16 cfu/mL), with confirmatory coliform positivity observed in ERW and EW. No E. coli, Salmonella spp., Vibrio cholerae, or Shigella spp. were detected at any time.

Conclusion

Storage conditions significantly impact both the physicochemical and microbiological quality of sachet water. Refrigeration effectively preserves water quality, whereas room temperature and outdoor storage promote microbial growth and physicochemical degradation, which can compromise water safety over time.

Recommendation

Consumers should prioritize refrigeration for sachet water storage where feasible. Regulatory bodies should enforce routine monitoring of sachet water quality and educate the public on safe storage practices. Proper storage is critical to prevent microbial contamination and maintain physicochemical quality, thus reducing the risk of waterborne infections.