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The large-format book about European mineral waters arose from a spontaneous, unconventional idea. The geochemists from the European geological services had just published the analysis results of stream sediments and soil samples in a two-volume geochemical atlas. A “missing” sample medium was now groundwater. Manfred Birke, senior geochemist at the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) in Hanover, surprised the research community with a simple approach: "Groundwater can be bought in bottles in the supermarket!" Clemens Reimann, lead author and internationally renowned geochemist (Norwegian Geological Survey; NGU), remembers that meeting with a smile: "The colleagues were surprised; no one had expected that. Their reaction was correspondingly wide-ranging, from happy approval to completely negative attitude."
When it comes to larger measurement and monitoring programs, sampling is the first major challenge. Every step must be taken under the same, comprehensible conditions and in compliance with standards. It is also important to obtain permission for access to sample points. All of this requires a lot of effort before the “real” work in the laboratory begins. Accordingly, the authors get to the point in the introduction (page 3). "Groundwater is a difficult sample material for geochemical mapping projects."
A lot is specified when it comes to bottled mineral water. No access permits are required; sampling, i.e. filling, takes place under the strict conditions of the respective food authorities. Everything was “pre-packaged and analysis-ready” (page 3) – scientists, what more could you want? “The most expensive thing was the postage for shipping the bottles that our colleagues sent us to Hanover,” remembers Reimann. Since an extract from chemical analyzes is printed on every bottle, the legitimate question arises as to why? “We didn’t just want a few elements like calcium, magnesium or sodium on the labels. We wanted to analyze and compare as many as possible in one (!) laboratory under the same conditions,” said Reimann in an interview. In fact, there were ultimately 1,785 samples, i.e. bottled mineral water, from 1,247 springs from 884 locations in 39 countries across Europe. 71 parameters (elements) were analyzed, a distinction was made between glass and plastic bottles (PET) as well as between still and carbonated mineral waters.
The project was watched like a hawk. Among other things, food chemists felt ignored; they saw mineral water as their area of responsibility. But the geologists argued that groundwater was their concern. The natural water cycle provides proof once again. Percolating surface water absorbs minerals from the respective rock in the rock subsurface (aquifer) and thus forms the specific geological subsurface.
First of all: Despite the great geological diversity in Europe, the analyzes showed that all commercial mineral waters can be enjoyed without hesitation. Of course, there are some waters that you shouldn't drink exclusively throughout your life. That's why the same applies here: it's the mix, the variety that makes the difference.
The European mineral water book, which was published by Bornträger Verlag (Stuttgart) in 2010, contains all relevant information with the highest level of scientific meticulousness on 268 pages, including an enclosed CD. Some elements should be mentioned that correlate well with the geology. High chromium and vanadium values can be traced back to water contact in former ocean floor rocks (ophiolites). When it comes to areas with volcanism or volcanic rocks, elements such as aluminum, fluorine, potassium, manganese, molybdenum, phosphorus, rubidium, selenium should be mentioned. Lithium, in turn, is typical in granites that were formed in ancient times.
The differences between PET bottles and glass bottles are interesting. Glass bottles show lead values that are 14 times higher (page 154) and seven times higher values for aluminum (page 74) than the same water in PET bottles. That may sound frightening, but the values - which are the result of extremely precise analysis methods - were in every case (!) well below the valid limit values for drinking water. “So you can be reassured,” says Reimann. The enormous variation in the content of individual elements in European groundwater was astonishing. For lithium, for example, for which no limit values have been defined, the values ranged from six powers of ten, i.e. between <0.2µg/l and 9860µg/l [micrograms per liter] (page 131).
The extensive (442 pages) monograph on domestic mineral and medicinal waters (2018) follows the "Drinkable Deep Ground Waters in Austria" (2015) and the "Thermal Waters in Austria" (2016), all commissioned by the Water Management Section of the then Federal Ministry for Sustainability and Tourism. Gerhard Schubert and Daniel Elster outline the content as follows: "The main focus in this work was on the mineral waters approved in accordance with the Mineral Water and Spring Water Ordinance and on the healing springs approved in accordance with the healing resources and health resort laws of the federal states" (page 10).
Here are some figures: in addition to 40 recognized mineral waters, 111 recognized medicinal springs were also recorded, as well as information on 240 medicinal springs that were important in historical times. The literature research was correspondingly comprehensive, with around 1,000 scientific papers and archive items (pages 388 to 407). In addition, 80 samples were analyzed at the Federal Geological Institute (today GeoSphere Austria) and 55 at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (Boku). The Boku samples were examined for 68 elements including precious metals and rare earths as part of ultra-trace analysis. In a word: it couldn't be more comprehensive.
If you want to know what constitutes natural mineral water or natural healing water, you will find it on pages 11ff. "By definition, natural mineral water is water that is of original purity, has its origin in an underground water source protected from any contamination and is obtained from one or more naturally or artificially developed sources of approximately the same characteristics." Further in the text: "Its peculiarity is characterized above all by the constant content of characteristic components and may have certain nutritional and physiological effects."
This is based on numerous laws, criteria (Table 1; page 11) and limit values (Table 2; page 12). Ultimately, recognition as “natural mineral water” lies within the federal government, but recognition as “natural healing water” is a matter for the states. To do this, proof of a specific condition must be provided or the presence of pharmacologically effective ingredients, even in small amounts, must be demonstrated. (Table 3, page 13).
The book is divided regionally into Part I (Deposits & Hydrogeology) from Burgenland (page 29) to Vorarlberg (page 216), with Vienna in Lower Austria. Each occurrence has two subsections: Current Use and Development History and Hydrogeology and Hydrochemistry. There is also a site plan and often a geological section through the subsoil. It shows the rock layers in which the water is located (aquifer) and also the covering layers that form a natural barrier to contaminants. Part II (Ultratraces & Hydrochemistry), starting on page 233, is first about methods and then about results with the presentation of individual waters and the analyzed elements. From page 291 onwards there is a detailed table section ("Hydrochemical analyzes and isotope analyzes of individual occurrences") - sorted by federal state.
Here too, the dependence of the water on the geological subsurface is evident. One result, concerning lithium (page 289f.), which was detected in all samples examined, should be highlighted. "Studies show [...] that a low concentration (250 to 1,250 μg/l) is said to have a positive effect on health."
Conclusion: “Geochemistry of European Bottled Water” focuses on analysis, chemistry and mapping of the water. In addition to analysis results, "Austria's mineral and medicinal waters" mainly contain geological information; there is also a geological map of the mineral and medicinal water deposits (1:500,000). (Thomas Hofmann, March 21, 2025)