RESULTS

Three specimen from three stations in the waters near the vicinity of Tacloban City were

subjected to a water quality assessment. The samples taken were subjected to various tests which

were labeled accordingly as seen in Table 1.

Table 1. Labelling of the Experimental Setup

VOLUME TEST STATIONS

of TUBE Dio Tacloban Passenger’s
SAMPLE NUMBER A B C
Island Astrodome Pier Area
1 A110 B110 C110
2 A210 B210 C210
10 Ml 3 A310 B310 C310
4 A410 B410 C410
5 A510 B510 C510
1 A11 B11 C11
2 A21 B21 C21
1.0 Ml 3 A31 B31 C31
4 A41 B41 C41
5 A51 B51 C51
1 A1.1 B1.1 C1.1
2 A2.1 B2.1 C2.1
0.1 Ml 3 A3.1 B3.1 C3.1
4 A4.1 B4.1 C4.1
5 A5.1 B5.1 C5.1
After a 48-hour incubation period, observations in the experimental setup were recorded as

positive (+), negative (-) and neither positive nor negative (0). Water samples taken from the waters

near Tacloban Astrodome (Station B) and the Passenger’s Pier Area (Station C) exhibited positive

results. However, in the sample taken from the waters near Dio Island (Station A), only A310

showed a positive result (see Figure 1 A). Although, it was noted that samples A110, A210, A410,

A510 and A5.1 became turbid. But no fermentation occurred (see Table 2) as exhibited by a

formation of gas in each respective fermentation tubes (see Figure 1 A & Figure 1 D). The samples

which tested positive indicates presence of some or all members of the total coliform group. A

summary of the data collected in the Presumptive Phase were summarized in Table 2.

Table 2. Presumptive Phase. Observations of the multiple-tube fermentation

setup using three water samples after 48 hours of incubation: (+) has gas
formation and turbid; (-) has no gas formation and non-turbid; (0) has no
gas formation but turbid.
 LABEL LABEL LABEL
(10 OBSERVATION (1.0 OBSERVATION (0.1 OBSERVATION
mL) mL) mL)
A110 0 A11 - A1.1 -
A210 0 A21 - A2.1 -
A310 + A31 - A3.1 -
A410 0 A41 - A4.1 -
A510 0 A51 - A5.1 0
B110 + B11 + B1.1 +
B210 + B21 + B2.1 +
B310 + B31 + B3.1 +
B410 + B41 + B4.1 +
B510 + B51 + B5.1 +
C110 + C11 + C1.1 +
C210 + C21 + C2.1 +
C310 + C31 + C3.1 +
C410 + C41 + C4.1 +
C510 + C51 + C5.1 +

Figure 1. Experimental Setup for the Presumptive Phase. Test tubes containing double-strength
broth with 10 mL of water sample shows positive results as observed by a gas formation in
fermentation tubes (red vertical line): Station A – A, Station B – B, Station C – C.
Figure 2. Experimental Setup for the Presumptive Phase. Test tubes containing single-strength
lactose broth with 1.0 mL (A, B, C) and 0.1 mL (D, E, F) of water sample (Station A – A, D;
Station B – B, E; Station C – C, F) shows positive results as observed to have both a gas
formation inside (red vertical line) and a turbid solution outside the fermentation tubes.
 Samples which tested positive in the Presumptive Phase were then subjected to Total

Coliform Test. In this setup all samples tested positive except for the samples in Station A (A110,

A210, A310, A410, A5.1) as seen in Figure 3.

Figure 3. Experimental Setup for Confirmed Coliform Phase. Test tubes containing Brilla broth
inoculated with samples which tested positive in the Presumptive Phase (see Table 1) as
gas formation inside the fermentation tubes were observed (red vertical line): (A) Station
A, 10 mL; (B) Station B, 10 mL; (C) Station C, 10 mL; (D) Station B, 1.0 mL; (E) Station
C, 1.0 mL; (F) Station B, 0.1 mL; (G) Station A, 0.1 mL; (H) Station C, 0.1 mL.

A summary is shown below (see Table 2), providing the number of samples which tested

positive as seen in Figure 3.

STATIONS NUMBER OF POSITIVE TUBES MPN/100 mL

10 mL 1.0 mL 0.1 Ml
A Dio Island 0 0 0 <1.8
B Astrodome 5 5 5 >1600
C Passenger’s Pier Area 5 5 4 1600
 Table 2. Confirmed Coliform Phase. Number of tubes which tested positive in each station of the
water sample.

Figure 4. Experimental Setup for Confirmed Fecal Coliform Phase. Test tubes containing EC
broth inoculated with samples which tested positive in the Confirmed Coliform Phase (see
Table 2) as gas formation inside the fermentation tubes were observed (red vertical line):
(A) Station B, 10 mL; (B) Station C, 10 mL; (C) Station B, 1.0 mL; (D) Station C, 1.0 mL;
(E) Station B, 0.1 mL; (F) Station C, 0.1 mL.

The fecal coliform confirmatory test shows the presence of coliform species from animals. In

Figure 4, it was observed that all samples showed positive results.

Figure 5. Experimental Setup for E. coli Confirmatory Test. Plates with EMB Agar were
inoculated with samples which tested positive in the Confirmed Fecal Coliform Phase.

Escherichia coli characteristically exhibits a green metallic coloration after an 18hr

incubation period in EMB agar. In the test, sample B410 (see Table 3) is the lone negative result

recorded. Sample B410 exhibited a pinkish-purplish coloration which is indicative of the absence of

E. coli.
 Specimen Result Specimen Result Specimen Result
(0.1 mL) (10 mL) (1.0 mL)
C1.1 + B110 + C11 +
C3.1 + B210 + C21 +
C4.1 + B310 + C31 +
C5.1 + B410 - C41 +
B1.1 + B510 + C51 +
B2.1 + C110 + B11 +
B3.1 + C210 + B21 +
B4.1 + C310 + B31 +
B5.1 + C410 + B41 +
C510 + B51 +

Table 3. Summarized results of the Confirmatory Test for the presence of E. coli (see Figure 5).