scholarly journals The efficiency of a low-cost hydrogen sulphide (H2S) kit as an early warning test for assessing microbial rainwater quality and its correlation with standard indicators microorganisms

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 133-143
Author(s):  
Mokaba Shirley Malema ◽  
Jean-Marc Mwenge Kahinda ◽  
Akebe Luther King Abia ◽  
Roman Tandlich ◽  
Bongumusa M. Zuma ◽  
...  

Abstract Testing microbial quality of the harvested rainwater remains a challenge in many countries. The H2S test kit is a low-cost microbiological field-based test which can be used in areas where water testing facilities are limited. This study compares its efficiency with the standard indicators microorganisms in the detection of faecal contamination of rainwater in South Africa. A total of 88 rainwater samples were collected from various tanks in the Eastern Cape, South Africa over three months in 2016. The collected samples were analysed for faecal bacterial contamination using the H2S test kit, Colilert-18/Quanti-tray®/2000 and the membrane filtration technique for faecal coliforms (MFT). The correspondence rate of the H2S test kit with MFT was 88 %, while for the Colilert® it was 76 %. The H2S test kit confirmed faecal contamination when concentrations of standards indicators microorganisms were 5 most-probable number of cells/100 cm3 or higher. Overall, the best correspondence of the H2S test kit with Colilert® was observed at E. coli concentrations above 50 most-probable number of cells/100 cm3. Results of the H2S test kit correlated better with MTF, while the medium used has strongly influenced the enumeration of faecal contamination. Results point to strong effect of media used and revealed the need to calibrate the correspondence between the standard indicator microorganisms and the H2S test kit under local conditions for specific settings.

1991 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 149-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. A. Grabow ◽  
E. J. Pienaar ◽  
R. Kfir

A total of 510 service water samples from cooling towers throughout South Africa were analysed for the presence of Legionella bacteria. Legionella was detected using an immuno-labelling technique based on the most probable number principle. Only cultural (viable) bacteria were counted. Legionellae were found in most of the samples tested. However, in only 4% of the samples a high level of legionellae was recorded. No correlation was found between the numbers of legionellae and those of standard plate counts. Biocide treatment was shown to be effective in the removal of the bacteria from cooling towers after a 3-month treatment period.


1991 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. A. Grabow ◽  
R. Kfir ◽  
W. O. K. Grabow

A new quantitative method for the enumeration of Legionella bacteria in water is described. Appropriate tenfold serial dilutions of water samples concentrated by membrane filtration are plated in triplicate on buffered charcoal yeast extract agar. After incubation for 3 days representative smears from individual plates are tested for the presence of Legionella by direct fluorescent antibody staining. The number of positive plates in each dilution is used to calculate the Legionella count by means of conventional most probable number statistics. In comparative tests on a variety of water samples this method yielded significantly higher counts than previously used procedures.


1985 ◽  
Vol 31 (8) ◽  
pp. 686-692 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. H. Havelaar ◽  
M. During ◽  
E. H. M. Delfgou-Van Asch

The recovery of Pseudomonas aeruginosa on several selective culture media was tested using raw sewage and secondary sewage effluent samples as well as spiked chlorinated imitation swimming water and samples from whirlpools. mPA-medium B gave good recovery of both vital and chlorine-injured P. aeruginosa and selectivity was greater than 90% when analysing whirlpool samples. It is therefore the medium recommended for examination of chlorinated swimming pools. When analysing sewage polluted water with the mPA-B medium, reduced selectivity was noted from low verification rates and from overgrowth by competitive flora. A modified medium (mPA-D; addition of cetrimide, omission of sulphapyridine and actidione) was more selective and sufficiently recovered noninjured cells. Chlorine-injured cells were completely inhibited, however. C-390 (9-chloro-9-(4-diethylaminophenyl)-10-phenylacridan) was confirmed to be highly selective for P. aeruginosa when used in spread plates at a concentration of 30 μg/mL; P. aeruginosa was slightly inhibited. However, the medium could not be used with conventional membrane filtration techniques, because cellulose ester filters interfered with the selective action of C-390. Selectivity could be improved by using Gelman Tuffryn (polysulphone) filters and increasing the C-390 concentration to 120 μg/mL. At this concentration, however, the medium was strongly inhibitory to P. aeruginosa; resuscitation only partially improved recovery. Two other membrane filtration media were tested. Both cetrimide – nalidixic acid agar and Drake's medium No. 19 were inhibitory to chlorine-injured cells. Several types of membrane filters were tested and there was little difference between them. In the most-probable-number technique, recovery of P. aeruginosa was shown to be excellent when using asparagine broth. Malachite green broth was strongly inhibitory to chlorine-injured P. aeruginosa.


1983 ◽  
Vol 29 (10) ◽  
pp. 1261-1269 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. J. Robertson ◽  
R. S. Tobin

Fifteen stations, in two estuaries, along the Northumberland Strait of Nova Scotia were examined between June and September 1981 for a relationship between the concentrations of commonly monitored fecal indicator bacteria and the potential pathogens Candida albicans, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Increased densities of these three organisms were usually associated with high densities of indicator bacteria. Whereas C. albicans and P. aeruginosa occur in human fecal wastes, V. parahaemolyticus is indigenous to the marine environment and positively responds to elevated nutrient levels in sewage. There is also some evidence that these bacteria survive as long or longer in marine waters than the common indicator bacteria. While membrane-filtration techniques for the enumeration of C. albicans and P. aeruginosa proved satisfactory, a V. parahaemolyticus membrane-filtration method lacked specificity and was supplemented by a most-probable-number method. In marine recreational and shellfish waters, these three organisms could complement fecal coliforms and fecal streptococci as indicators of human fecal contamination.


1982 ◽  
Vol 89 (1) ◽  
pp. 149-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. L. Smith ◽  
S. Rockliff

SUMMARYA single-tube confirmatory test that allows a result to be obtained in 4 h has been developed from the single-tube confirmatory test recommended by the Joint Committee of the Public Health Laboratory Service and the Standing Committee of Analysts (PHLS/SCA, 1980). A variety of river, lake and reservoir samples were examined for the presence ofE. coliusing either most probable number (MPN) or membrane filtration (MF) technique, and the PHLS/SCA recommended confirmatory medium (LTMB) was evaluated against traditional methods. To improve the performance of LTMB, the medium was modified and this modified medium when used in 0·1 ml volumes and incubated for 4 h at 44°C provided 99% agreement with traditional methods.


1991 ◽  
Vol 37 (12) ◽  
pp. 918-923 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. St-Arnaud ◽  
J. -G. Bisaillon ◽  
R. Beaudet

Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria were present at 102 MPN/mL (most probable number per millilitre) in swine waste, and they were outnumbered by a factor of 105 by the heterotrophs of the indigenous flora. To study these ammonia-oxidizing bacteria we attempted to isolate them in pure culture. We succeeded in increasing the concentration of these bacteria by successive transfers to an inorganic medium, but the heterotrophs were always dominant. To overcome this problem Nitrosomonas europaea ATCC 19718 was adapted to grow in stabilized swine waste. With this adapted strain it was shown that the number of cells inoculated into swine waste rapidly decreased both under the aerobic conditions used to oxidize the organic matter of swine waste and under the anaerobic conditions found in stored swine waste. Ammonia oxidation was delayed when adapted N. europaea was inoculated into a partially stabilized swine waste as compared with results in a completely stabilized waste. A biofilm of 107 MPN/cm2 of N. europaea was developed after 114 days of incubation at 29 °C on polyvinyl chloride discs covered with geotextile in a rotating biological contactor using an inorganic medium. This biofilm was gradually adapted to stabilized swine waste and the rate of disappearance of ammonia reached 270 mg∙L−1∙day−1 in the compartment of the reactor containing 2.5 L of waste. Key words: amonia-oxidizing bacteria, swine waste, ammonia oxidation, biofilm, most probable number.


2011 ◽  
Vol 78 (4) ◽  
pp. 1237-1242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reagan R. Converse ◽  
John F. Griffith ◽  
Rachel T. Noble ◽  
Richard A. Haugland ◽  
Kenneth C. Schiff ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTSeveral studies have examined how fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) measurements compare between quantitative PCR (qPCR) and the culture methods it is intended to replace. Here, we extend those studies by examining the stability of that relationship within a beach, as affected by time of day and seasonal variations in source.Enterococcusspp. were quantified at three southern California beaches in the morning and afternoon using two qPCR assays, membrane filtration, and defined-substrate testing. While qPCR and culture-based measurements were consistently and significantly correlated, strength of the correlation varied both among and within beaches. Correlations were higher in the morning (0.45 < ρ < 0.74 [P< 0.002]) than in the afternoon (0.18 < ρ < 0.45 [P< 0.021]) and higher when the fecal contamination was concentrated (0.38 < ρ < 0.83 [P< 0.001]) than when it was diffuse (0.19 < ρ < 0.34 [P< 0.003]). The ratios of culture-based and qPCR results (CFU or most probable number [MPN] per calibrator cell equivalents [CCE]) also varied spatially and temporally. Ratios ranged between 0.04 and 0.85 CFU or MPN per CCE and were lowest at the beach affected by diffuse pollution. Patterns in the ratios over the course of the day were dissimilar across beaches, increasing with time at one beach and decreasing at another. The spatial and temporal variability we observed indicate that the empirical relationship between culture-based and qPCR results is not universal, even within a beach.


2018 ◽  
Vol 31 ◽  
pp. 06014
Author(s):  
Amelia Rahmitha ◽  
Endang Sri Utami ◽  
Marya Yenita Sitohang

People used refilled-drinking-water for household and food stall because its efficient and low cost. Based on Indonesian Health Ministry regulation, it should not have any coliform bacteria. This study aimed to describe the bacteriological contamination of refilled drinking water using geographical information system (GIS). In this research, it was used an analytic observational method. The samples were from all available (37) depots in Tembalang district, one form each depot took used a sterile bottle. Contamination of bacteria was identified by Most Probable Number (MPN) method lactose broth media, Mac Conkey media, and IMVIC media. The depot samples were then plotted on (GIS). This study showed 95% samples were not feasible to consume since they contamined coliform. All sub-district had one that contaminated by coliform, 75% sub-districts had depots that contaminated Escherichia coli, while 55% sub-districts had depots that contaminated with other bacteria. The internal risk factors of the contamination were the absence of hygiene-sanitation worthy certificate (95%), depots location near to pollution sources (5%), and the misused of UV light. The external risk factor was lack of quality control that was not as the sterilization from office health Semarang city. Policy reinforcement should be done to all of the depots.


2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 235-240
Author(s):  
B. Gunya ◽  
E.M. Idamokoro ◽  
M. Aliber

Village chicken production in South Africa is hampered by the cost of providing quality protein in their diets. The low-cost rearing of certain types of earthworms is a possible solution to this challenge; however, it is unclear whether farmers are amenable to such a solution. This study was conducted to evaluate the attitudes of village chicken farmers to the use of earthworms as a protein feed source for their chickens. The data were gathered by administering a total of 150 questionnaires through face-to-face interviews with the chicken farmers in Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The results of the study revealed that the idea of rearing earthworms for chickens was favoured by farmers, male farmers more strongly than females, while youth farmers rejected it. Moreover, the use of earthworms as a feed ingredient in chicken feed was accepted by farmers and no significant difference was observed among the type of owners of chickens. The consumption of chickens fed earthworms was significantly influenced by chicken ownership. Nevertheless, rearing of earthworms instead of growing crops for chicken feed was rejected by the farmers. The results show a positive attitude towards possible benefits that can be caused by the use of earthworms in chicken feed. The strongest benefit perceived was that earthworms improve production performance of chickens while the weakest was the use of earthworms for lowering feed price and production. Farmers’ perception of health risks caused by earthworms was high. Nevertheless, the overall conclusion is that earthworms can be used as chicken feed since farmers indicated a positive attitude toward the use of them for chickens.


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