Professional Documents
Culture Documents
USGS Workshop
Bangkok
Viruses Protozoa
(tiny, non- (larger,
living) complex cells)
Bacteria
(medium size,
Simple cells)
Drinking-water outbreaks in the US
in 2005 and 2006—Cause of acute
gastrointestinal illnesses
Surface
Water
Mixed
Unident.
Viral
Parasitic
Ground
Bacterial Water
Giardia lamblia -- 12 to 15 µm
Protozoa—Examples of Illnesses
Pathogen Disease or Symptom
Cryptosporidium parvum Cryptosporidiosis, diarrhea
mixing bottle
sample
pre-measured
media
quantitray
How does DST work?
2. Seal, incubate
3. Count the
positive cells
1. Mix media with
sample; pour into
Quantitray
Preparing a sample for
incubation
Total coliforms and E. coli:
Colilert Quantitray
• Under ambient
light, total
coliform
colonies are
yellow
• The same tray
under UV light;
total coliform
colonies that
are E. coli
fluoresce
Determining a final count
• Compare color
intensity to the
“comparator” tray
• Count the number Blank Comparator Positive
of large and small test
• Nutrient medium
for enterococci
– 4-
methylumbelliferyl-
β-D-glucoside
• Enterococci
enzyme
metabolizes the
reagent to form a
fluorescent product
Enterococci: Defined Substrate
Technology
• Enterococci
produce Blue
fluorescence
under UV light
• Marine samples
must be diluted
to reduce false
positives
Coliphages
Viral Indicators:
Coliphages
• Coliphages are viruses that infect
coliform bacteria
• Recommended by USEPA for use
as a GW fecal indicator.
• Indicator for the transport and
survival of viruses in the
environment
MS2 phage capsids
– Smaller than bacteria
– No metabolic needs
Viral Indicators:
Coliphages
• Two main groups of coliphage:
– Male-specific - Infect bacteria by
attaching to hairlike projections “F pili”
– Somatic coliphage - Infect bacteria by
attaching to outer cell wall
• Found in high numbers in sewage;
low incidence in human feces
• Good indicator of sewage pollution
Coliphage analyses
Positive Negative
control control
Test
sample
plaques
30 min @ 18 rpm
Add LL
Surface water
River
Canals
Sub canals
Drains
Ground water
Wells
Treated water
Houses
Hospital
Educational institutes
Hydrants
Filter water
Pipe water
Store Water
PROGRAM DESIGN