Bottled poison
most brands of bottled water brands in Pakistan are either contaminated or unfit for human consumption, says the findings of government-run Pakistan Council for Research in Water Resources (pcrwr).
The analysis of 17 water quality parameters reveal that all brands show drastic variations between labelled and analytical values. "Out of 26 brands analysed, 10 brands were found to be unsafe for drinking,' said the report. The council based its findings after testing 41 water samples of 26 brands collected randomly from stores in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
"The result was based on chemical, bacteriological and microbiological quality parameters using standard analytical procedures. Levels of potassium was 27 parts per million (ppm), when the prescribed limit is two ppm,' read the report.
The report has prompted consumer groups to take the government to task for not revealing the names of the brands. "The government should release names of the companies marketing hazardous brands so that people could make informed choices,' said a press release of the Islamabad-based Network for Consumer Protection. But consumer groups do not expect much from the Pakistan Environment Protection Agency (pak-epa), which had earlier concealed detailed findings of a report on lead content in wall paints. The government is, however, refusing to take action against these companies, apparently to create