In the 1980s Indian researchers developed a simple test to detect faecal pollution in water using hydrogen sulphide- producing bacteria as indicators. This paper examines the effectiveness of this method using water samples from a temperate climate.
| Title | Evaluation of a simple screening test for faecal pollution in water |
| Publication Type | Journal Article |
| Year of Publication | 1996 |
| Authors | Grant, MA, Ziel, CA |
| Pagination | p. 13-18: 5 tab. |
| Date Published | 1996-01-01 |
| Keywords | bacteriological examination, clostridium, comparative analysis, faecal coliforms, faecal pollutants, hydrogen sulphide |
| Abstract | In the 1980s Indian researchers developed a simple test to detect faecal pollution in water using hydrogen sulphide- producing bacteria as indicators. This paper examines the effectiveness of this method using water samples from a temperate climate. It also compares the test to six others for faecal coliforms, total coliforms and Clostridium perfringens. Agreement with total coliform results ranged from 92.9 to 98.9 per cent; with faecal coliform: 85.7 to 94.4 per cent; and C. perfringens: 71.4 to 80.0 per cent. The result of the hydrogen sulphide test was positive in samples containing small numbers of traditional indicator bacteria. There was a positive reaction in 24-40 hours at 30 degrees Celsius after inoculation of the test medium with 1-2 cells of known hydrogen-sulphide-producing cultures. |
| Notes | 25 ref. |
| Custom 1 | 241.1 |
