Arsenic and other trace elements in bottled and tap water in Croatia

Arsenic in drinking water is one of the most serious environmental health hazards faced by populations in many areas of the world, including the north-eastern part of Croatia. Arsenic is highly toxic and can lead to a wide range of health problems. It is carcinogenic, mutagenic and teratogenic. Of the various sources of As in the environment, drinking water probably poses the greatest threat to human health. Following the accumulation of the evidence for the chronic toxicological effects of As in drinking water, recommended and regulatory limits of many authorities are being reduced. Croatia has set new limit for As in mineral and spring water of 10 μ g/L, starting from 1.1.2007. The World Health Organization (WHO) guideline value for As in drinking water was provisionally reduced in 1993 from 50 to 10 μ g/L. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) limit was also reduced from 50 to 10 μ g/L in 2001. Other trace elements, essential or non-essential, when present at elevated levels can cause morphological abnormalities, reduced growth, increased mortality and mutagenic effects in humans. To avoid potential health hazard caused by elevated concentrations of trace elements in drinking water Croatia have set the regulations for maximum permissible levels for these elements in drinking and bottled, mineral and spring, water. International standards have also been set by WHO and EPA. Nowadays, bottled water is widely consumed due to its accessibility, relatively low cost, better taste and lower levels of impurities. Croatian bottled water is also an important export article to countries of the European Union and must therefore meet their standards for bottled waters. This research was carried out to provide insight on levels of trace elements in bottled, mineral and spring, water currently present on Croatian market. Concentrations of 23 trace elements (Ag, Al, As, B, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Sr, Ti, Tl, U, V and Zn) in 18 brands of bottled water were investigated. For purpose of comparison 5 samples of tap water, one from Rijeka and Lourdes and three from Zagreb were analyzed for the same elements. The high resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HR ICP-MS), as a multielement method which offers high sensitivity over wide linear range and low limits of detection, was used for the analysis. Results obtained were compared to Croatian maximum permissible levels for trace elements in drinking, mineral and tap water, as well as WHO and EPA drinking water standards. Concentration levels of all analyzed elements investigated in all examined water samples were below the maximum contaminant level established by Croatian, WHO and EPA regulations.