Study of the presence of geosmin in bottled mineral water by CLSA and GC-MS

Resum

Organoleptic properties of water are the only means
whereby a consumer can assess water quality and safety.
Among these properties, taste and smell are the most
important. Geosmin is a compound whose presence has
been causing a large number of episodes about taste and
smell in drinking water. Its smell has been described as
“earthy-musty”. In this study several samples of bottled
mineral water having an “earthy-musty” off-flavor have
been analysed and concentrations of geosmin above its
perception threshold have been detected. Closed Loop
Stripping Analysis (CLSA) has been used as extraction
and concentration method. Detection and quantitation of
geosmin have been carried out by gas chromatographymass
spectrometry (GC-MS). Many studies have reported the presence of geosmin in water and drinking water, but to our knowledge, this study is the first one where geosmin has been detected in bottled mineral water.