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The presence of fecal coliform in aquatic environments may indicate that the water has been contaminated with the fecal material of humans or other animals. Fecal coliform bacteria can enter rivers through direct discharge of waste from mammals and birds, from agricultural and storm runoff, and from human sewage.
Coliform bacteria are defined as either motile or non-motile Gram-negative non-spore forming bacilli that possess β-galactosidase to produce acids and gases under their optimal growth temperature of 35–37 °C. [1]
Fecal coliforms are more useful as indicators in recreational waters than total coliforms which include species that are naturally found in plants and soil; however, there are even some species of fecal coliforms that do not have a fecal origin, such as Klebsiella pneumoniae. Perhaps the biggest drawback to using coliforms as indicators is that ...
As the summer season gets underway, a new report finds that many coastal U.S. waterways, including popular beaches for swimming, are contaminated with unsafe levels of fecal bacteria.
In 2004, measurement of enterococci took the place of fecal coliforms as the new American federal standard for water quality at public saltwater beaches and alongside Escherichia coli at freshwater beaches. [23] It is believed to provide a higher correlation than fecal coliform with many of the human pathogens often found in city sewage. [24]
The presence of some coliforms indicate fecal contamination. The term "IMViC" is an acronym for each of these tests. "I" is for indole test; "M" is for methyl red test; "V" is for Voges-Proskauer test, and "C" is for citrate test. The lower case "i" is merely for "in" as the Citrate test requires coliform samples to be placed "in Citrate".
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Because E. faecalis is a common fecal bacterium in humans, recreational water facilities (such as swimming pools and beaches that allow visitors to swim in the ocean) often measure the concentrations of E. faecalis to assess the quality of their water. The higher the concentration, the worse the quality of the water.