Public Health Concern on Commercially Available Sachet Waters in Nigeria: A Mutagenicity, Genotoxicity and Health Risks Study

Sachet water is a common means of obtaining drinking water in many countries in Africa. However, there are concerns about the portability of this water type. This study investigated toxic metal concentrations in five commercially available sachet waters in Nigeria. The non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks were calculated. The Ames Salmonella fluctuation assay (Salmonella typhimurium: TA100 and TA98) and SOS chromotest (Escherichia coli PQ37) were used to assess the sachet waters’ capacity to cause DNA damage. A higher level of Cr, Cd, As, and Fe in the sachet waters than the allowable limit was recorded. There were substantial carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic hazards for both adults and children, according to data on the total carcinogenic (THQ) and non-carcinogenic (TCR) risks of some of the hazardous metals examined in the sachet waters. The values of these metals surpassed the tolerable threshold. The mutagenicity of the sachet waters was demonstrated by the Ames Salmonella fluctuation assay data. Comparing the mutagenic index of TA 98 and TA100, the earlier was more sensitive to all the water samples. The data obtained in the SOS Chromotest was similar to the data of the Ames test. The five sachet water samples in E. coli PQ37 induced a significant SOS response which indicates that the samples are genotoxic. When the two microbial assays were compared, the Ames Salmonella fluctuation appeared to be a little more sensitive in detecting genotoxins and mutagens in this study. These results are indication of the mutagenic, genotoxic and health effects that might occur in exposed individuals.