Coliform Testing

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Coliform Testing

• Melissa HammondApril 25, 2002

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What are coliforms?

• Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacteria
• Aerobic to facultative anaerobe
• Produce gas and acid
• Ferment lactose, dont form spores
• 2 types
• Total
• Fecal

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Fecal Coliforms

• Found in digestive tracts of warm-blooded animals
• Most common Eschiricia coli
• Why study them?
• Fecal contamination of water
• Potential threat to humans if reingested

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Indicator Organisms

• Bacteria colonies that indicate the possibility
  of fecal coliforms being present
• Why test for indicators instead of actual
  pathogens?
• Grow better in media than actual pathogens
• Usually present in higher numbers

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Risk Level EPA Water Standards-HIGH gt 236
cells/100ml MEDIUM 178-235
cells/100ml LOW lt 177
cells/100ml N/A Sample not taken in this area
at that time of year
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Resources

• WORKS CITED
• 1. American Public Health Association. 1995.
  Standard methods for the examination of
• water and wastewater, 19th ed. American
  Public Health Association, Inc., Washington,
• D.C.
• 2. Benson, Harold J. 1998. Microbiological
  Applications Laboratory Manual in General
• Microbiology, 7th ed. WCB/McGraw-Hill,
  Boston, Massachusetts.
• 3. Hardwood, Valerie J., John Whitlock,
  Victoria Withington. 2000.  Classification of
• Antibiotic Resistance Patterns of Indicator
  Bacteria by Discriminant Analysis Use in
• Predicting the Source of Fecal Contamination
  in Subtropical Waters. Appl. Environ.
• Microbiol. 663698-3704.
• 4. Hurst, Christon J. (ed.). 1997. Manual of
  Environmental Microbiology. ASM Press,
• Washington, D.C.
• 5. Lyles, Sanders T., Ph.D. 1969. Biology of
  Microorganisms. The C.V. Mosby Co.,
• Saint Louis.
• 6. Mitchell, Ralph. 1974. Introduction to
  Environmental Microbiology. Prentice-Hall,
• Inc., Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.
• 7. Sistrom, W.R. 1969. Microbial Life, 2nd ed.
  Holt, Rinehart, Winston, Inc., New
• York. 

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Acknowledgements

• Dr. Michelle A. Furlong
• Clayton College State University
• Dave Stuchkus
• Debbie Hammond