Distribution and physico-chemical data of Italian bottled natural mineral waters

In recent years, the consumption of bottled natural mineral water (BNMWs) has grown enormously in Italy. This trend and the importance of the market were supported by the proliferation of brands with very different physico-chemical properties, and related to very different geological scenarios. In this paper, label data of more than 400 BNMWs are reviewed by using graphical and geospatial analyses in order to relate their hydrochemical characterization to geographical distribution. For this purpose, a large geodatabase covering the Italian peninsula was constructed, including geographical, geochemical and lithological data. A graphical classification based on hydrochemical characteristics, as well as distribution maps of some physical parameters were also reported. The results were evaluated within the context of the geological scenarios that control groundwater evolution. This information may be used by experts for both an evaluation of the potential market demand, and for health care use.