Hygienic problems of the use of Vended Water (literature review)

Abstract

A significant gain in the volume of sales of vended water, both throughout the world and in our country, makes it relevant to analyze the problems of ensuring the quality and safety of vended water. The original articles on the problems of using vended water, presented in the bibliographic and abstract databases and information systems PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, eLIBRARY.RU, CyberLeninka, The Cochrane Library, met the criteria for compliance with the stated purpose and quality of research results, are analyzed. A total of ninty three full-text reports were identified by targeted search, of which 54 fully met these inclusion criteria. Vended water is one of the economically attractive ways to provide affordable drinking water with high organoleptic properties. National laws regulate the quality and safety of vended water differently: in some countries (Malaysia) vended water is regulated in one legal act together with packaged water and is considered as a food product, in others (USA) it is considered as non-communal public water supply, to which US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) requirements are applied. The Russian regulatory and legal framework in relation to vended water is in the process of formation, so far it has a recommendation character. The problem of microbiological safety of vended water is global. In the studies conducted, the safety of vended water was associated not only with the quality of water from the source of water supply and the method (or lack) of water treatment, but also with the location and design of water dispensers, the health status and hygiene skills of sellers/manufectures, and the hygiene skills of consumers, including cleanliness of hands and condition of containers (often reusable). The studies noted the importance of the quality of maintenance, disinfection of aquamats and quality control of vending water to ensure water quality and safety. When using reverse osmosis technologies in aquamats, the problem of reducing the mineralization of vended water also requires control of the total mineralization, calcium, and magnesium cations.