Detection of Escherichia coli and Enteroccocus faecalis indices in groundwater sources

Abstract

Microbial analysis of ground water, as the sole supplying water source in many areas, must be evaluated. Because the treatment of water cannot remove all pathogenic bacteria leaked from domestic wastewater, bacterial analysis of Bojnourd groundwater sources was performed. For this reason, membrane filter (MF) technique and Most Probable Number (MPN) method were used to evaluate the microbial quality of the water. Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Enteroccocus faecalis (E. faecalis) were traced as excremental indices. E. coli was detected from three out of six stations and E. faecalis was only isolated from one station. Although molecular techniques are very rapid and exact methods for detection of microbial community and can identify ‘Viable But Not Cultivable’ (VBNC) bacteria, they are unable to make a distinction between living and non-living microorganisms. By means of a standard technique, it is possible to study living and metabolically active microorganisms. Due to the detection of E.coli and E.feacalis in some stations the sanitization of groundwater must be revised to lessen the microbial population in this groundwater.

Keywords

• bacteria indices
• microbial cultivation methods
• MPN
• membrane filter