A new research has found that the water you drink might not be so clean after all.
Researchers from Lunch University in Sweden found that the tap water we drink contains about 10 million bacteria per glass. Just before you hit the panic button, the researchers also claim these bacteria can actually improve the quality of your water.
According to a Daily Mail report, the researchers found that these bacteria grow at the water treatment plant and on the inside of water pipes.
“A previously completely unknown ecosystem has revealed itself to us,” said Catherine Paul, one of the researchers from Lunch University.
“Formerly, you could hardly see any bacteria at all and now, thanks to techniques such as massive DNA sequencing and flow cytometry, we suddenly see eighty thousand bacteria per milliliter in drinking water.”
“From having been in the dark with a flashlight, we are now in a brightly lit room, but it is only one room.”
There are at least a couple of thousand different species and there is also connection between the composition of bacteria and water quality. The researchers also suspect there are ‘good’ bacteria that help purify the water and keep it safe – similar to what happens in our bodies.
Other bacteria may also suggest there is something wrong with the water, which would result in the pipes rusting or the chlorine content dropping.
The research was carried out by doctoral student Katharina Lührig, Catherine Paul, Björn Canbäck, Tomas Johansson, professors Peter Rådström and Kenneth Persson all of Lunch University.
S.O.Z