Oxygen and hydrogen isotope ratios in bottled waters

Description

This dataset comprises stable hydrogen (2H) and oxygen (18O) isotope ratio data for bottled waters worldwide. Compiled from peer-reviewed scientific publications, the data include isotopic measurements and associated metadata, providing a comprehensive resource for hydrological, environmental, food authenticity, and forensic research. Developed to consolidate currently dispersed information on the isotopic composition of commercial bottled waters into a single, standardized database, the dataset contains isotope ratio values alongside metadata, such as country, geographic location, water classification, brand name, sampling period, analytical technique, and original bibliographic source, where available. The data were obtained through a systematic review of the scientific literature and harmonized to ensure consistent terminology, metadata structure, and isotope notation. No new experimental measurements were generated; all records originate from published studies. This dataset enables users to compare isotopic compositions of bottled waters across different regions, investigate spatial variability, evaluate relationships with meteoric water signatures, support water provenance and authenticity studies, and facilitate hydrological, environmental, and forensic applications. Additionally, it serves as a reference dataset for meta-analyses, isotope-based modeling, and future investigations into bottled water resources.

Steps to reproduce

The dataset was compiled through a systematic review of peer-reviewed scientific publications reporting stable hydrogen (2H) and oxygen (18O) isotope ratios of commercially available bottled waters. Literature searches were conducted across major scientific databases, including Web of Science, Scopus, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, Wiley Online Library, Google Scholar, and SciELO. Search terms combined keywords related to bottled water, mineral water, stable isotopes, hydrogen, oxygen, isotope ratio, provenance, authenticity, traceability, and forensic applications. Eligible studies were screened to identify publications containing original isotopic measurements and sufficient metadata. For each record, isotope ratio values (2H and 18O) and all available associated information were extracted, including country and geographic location, brand name, water classification, sampling period, analytical method, analytical instrumentation, and bibliographic reference. Data reported in different formats were standardised using the conventional delta () notation expressed in per mil (‰) relative to Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water (VSMOW). Quality control procedures included verification of duplicate records, consistency checks between isotope values and metadata, harmonisation of nomenclature, and standardisation of variable names and units. Where studies reported paired 2H and 18O measurements, these relationships were preserved in the compiled database. The dataset includes isotope ratios generated using established analytical techniques reported in the original publications—primarily Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS) and laser absorption spectroscopy methods, such as Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy (CRDS) and Off-Axis Integrated Cavity Output Spectroscopy (OA-ICOS). No new laboratory analyses or experimental measurements were performed as part of this work. The resulting database represents a harmonised compilation of published isotope data, designed to facilitate data reuse, comparison, and integration in hydrological, environmental, food authenticity, and forensic investigations.

Institutions

• Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais

  Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte

Categories

Licence