Faecal Coliform Bacteria in Febros River (Northwest Portugal): Temporal Variation, Correlation with Water Parameters, and Species Identification

Abstract

Febros river water was sampled weekly, during 35 successive weeks, and analyzed for microbiological (total coliforms, faecal coliforms, faecal streptococci and enterococci) and chemical-physical (ammonia and temperature) parameters. All microbiological parameters were highly correlated with each other and with ammonia, suggesting that the simultaneous determination of all variables currently in use in the evaluation of the microbiological quality of waters is probably redundant, and could be simplified, and that ammonia should be tested as a sentinel parameter of the microbiological pollution load of Febros river. From the strains isolated from positive tubes of the faecal coliforms test (multiple tube fermentation technique) and retested in this assay, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella oxytoca and Klebsiella pneumoniae subsp. pneumoniae strains were positive, indicating that the faecal coliforms test is not totally specific for Escherichia coli, and can detect other bacteria. Considering that these Klebsiella spp. are not necessarily of faecal origin, it was concluded that the faecal coliforms test can overestimate true faecal pollution. From the strains isolated from positive tubes of the faecal coliforms procedure, only Escherichia coli strains were clearly positive in the beta-D-glucuronidase test. All other species were negative or very weakly positive, suggesting that the assay of the beta-D-glucuronidase activity is less prone to false positives than the faecal coliforms test in the quantification of Escherichia coli in environmental waters.

Assessment of the characteristic of nutrients, total metals, and fecal coliform in Sibu Laut River, Sarawak, Malaysia

“…The microbiological quality of water is classically monitored by searching for and quantifying bacterial indicators of fecal contamination. Total coliform, fecal coliform, fecal streptococci and enterococci are among the most frequently used microbial indicators of fecal pollution (Malik and Ahmad 2002;Cabral and Marques 2006;Djuikom et al 2006;Kovačić et al 2011). Although not usually harmful themselves, their presence may indicate the possibility of pathogen presence (Bonadonna et al 2002;Dorsey et al 2012).…”

A Grey Water Footprint Assessment of Groundwater Chemical Pollution: Case Study in Salento (Southern Italy)

“…Its presence in groundwater can be related to geological factors such as the decay of material undergoing fossilization [30], but, if associated with microbiological compounds, also to sewers and/or livestock farms [31].…”

Evaluation of the ecological status of an impaired watershed by using a multi-index approach

“…Fecal Coliform levels were extremely high, indicating heavy sewage contamination, with average values over 86 times higher than the mandatory values for bathing (2,000 cfu 100 ml −1 , EEC 1976). The results indicate a clear risk to human health as the water was unsuitable for both irrigation and direct contact (Cabral and Marques 2006). Other factors compromising water quality besides agriculture were point sources of pollution of industrial and urban origin, which overloaded the limited self-depuration capacity of the watercourse.…”