Characterization of Turkish bottled waters using pattern recognition methods

In this study, 130 (out of total 229 certified) Turkish bottled water brands were characterized by using multivariate pattern recognition methods. The database used in this study was compiled from the production licenses issued to bottlers by the Turkish Ministry of Health, which is the regulating body of the bottled water industry since 1997. The production licenses provided information on up to 34 physico-chemical parameters and were a valuable information source for this study. The relationships among eight selected major ion chemistry variables (calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride, sulfate, bicarbonate, and fluoride) were examined by principal components analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis. In general, the concentrations of most water quality constituents reported were much higher in the natural mineral water brands compared to the natural spring water and drinking water brands of bottled water. This study has also shown that Turkish bottled waters have a diverse character reflected by their chemical compositions, which in turn is a result of country's peculiar geologic framework.