Subject(s)
Disinfectants/pharmacology , Equipment Contamination , Plastics , Pseudomonas/drug effects , Animals , HumansABSTRACT
Appropriate methods and criteria for judging the degree of sewage contamination of water and its suitability for drinking or recreational uses are essential to safeguard the public health. 5beta-cholestan-3beta-ol seems to satisfy many, if not all, of the criteria required of a good indicator of fecal pollution. It was shown that this fecal sterol was strongly adsorbed to the polystyrene polymeric XAD-2 adsorbents at low pH, resulting in a 100% retention. The adsorbed sterols could be easily removed from the columns with acetone adjusted to pH 8.5-9 with concentrated NH4OH. It has also been demonstrated that large volumes of both fresh and sea water samples can be extracted by the "closed" column method in a relatively short time. The sensitivity of the column exceeded that of the conventional liquid-liquid partitioning procedure. With some modifications, the column extraction process can be incorporated in a fully- or semi-automated analytical procedure.
Subject(s)
Cholestanols/analysis , Water Pollution/analysis , Chromatography, Gas , Feces , Ion Exchange ResinsABSTRACT
Reports indicate that the standard membrane filter (MF) technique for recovery of fecal coliform bacteria from chlorinated sewage effluents is less effective than the multiple-tube (or most-probable-number [MPN]) procedure. A modified MF method was developed that requires a preincubation period of 5 h at 35 degrees C followed by 18+/-1 h at 44.5 degrees C. This procedure was evaluated by using both laboratory- and plant-chlorinated primary and secondary effluents. Results obtained by the modified MF method compared favorably with those of the MPN technique for the enumeration of fecal coliforms from chlorinated effluent. Agreement between these two methods was greatest with samples from secondary treatment plants. The average recovery of fecal coliforms by the standard MF procedure was only 14% that of the MPN method, whereas with the modified technique recovery was increased to 68% of the MPN counts. Enhanced recovery resulting from a simple modification in the incubation schedule makes the MF method a valuable adjunct for enumerating fecal coliforms from chlorinated effluents.
Subject(s)
Bacteriological Techniques , Enterobacteriaceae/isolation & purification , Sewage , Waste Disposal, Fluid , Chlorine , Feces/microbiology , Filtration/instrumentationABSTRACT
Spectral properties of the intracellular pigments of flavpbacteroa were studied by "scanning" ultrasonic preparations, methanol extracts, MF preparations, slide cultures and whole cell suspensions. No genus-specific Amax were demonstrated with methanol extracts. In situ analyses of pigment, using ultrasonic preparations or whole cell suspensions, demonstrated that all strains of Flavobacterium spp. surveyed showed a discrete Amax between 418 and 421 nm. This peak was absent from scans of other yellow gram negative rods". Amplitude of Amax was accentuated by variation in incubation parameters. Good resolution was obtained by repositioning cuvettes in "conventional" spectrophotometers and attaching opal glass plates to the "detector suface" of cuvettes. The presence of a genus-specific Flavobacterium pigment, or pigment fraction, detected through in situ analysis, adds another feature to keys or schema used for characterization and identification of the organisms comprising this presently ill-defined taxon.
Subject(s)
Flavobacterium/classification , Pigments, Biological/analysis , Carotenoids/analysis , Filtration/instrumentation , Flavobacterium/analysis , Methanol , Spectrophotometry , UltrasonicsABSTRACT
Fecal coliform recoveries were determined for six types of membrane filters using 65 nonchlorinated water samples. Results showed that the membranes could be ranked in order of decreasing recovery as follows: Millipore HC greater than Gelman greater than Johns-Manville approximately Sartorius greater than Millipore HA greater than Schleicher & Schuell.
Subject(s)
Escherichia coli/isolation & purification , Micropore Filters , Water Microbiology , Cell Count , Evaluation Studies as Topic , Feces/microbiology , SewageABSTRACT
The use of Pfizer selective enterococcus (PSE) agar with the membrane filter technique for the enumeration of fecal streptococci is limited due to the inability of the characteristic black precipitate, indicative of esculin hydrolysis, to diffuse from the medium through the membrane. A modification of the membrane filter technique that consisted of placing the membrane on PSE agar and overlaying it with tempered PSE agar was evaluated by comparing recovery, selectivity, and other parameters with M-enterococcus and KF-streptococcus agars, two selective media routinely used with the membrane filter technique for the enumeration of fecal streptococci in water and wastewater. No statistically significant differences could be demonstrated in the recovery capabilities of the three media. Inasmuch as the PSE overlay technique requires only 24 h of incubation as opposed to 48 h for the other two media, this modification may have some merit in water pollution monitoring programs.
Subject(s)
Bacteriological Techniques , Feces/microbiology , Streptococcus/isolation & purification , Water Microbiology , Agar , Animals , Animals, Domestic , Bacteriological Techniques/standards , Cell Count , Evaluation Studies as Topic , Fresh Water , Micropore Filters , Polystyrenes , Seawater , SewageABSTRACT
A two-layer agar method has been developed which consistently yields higher recovery of fecal coliforms on membrane filters when compared to the existing membrane fecal coliform procedure. This method has been evaluated by three laboratories using samples of raw and chlorinated waste water, and reservoir, river, and marine waters. Verification of 1,013 fecal coliform colonies isolated from 61 water samples averaged 92% on this proposed procedure. Comparison with the Standard Methods membrane fecal coliform procedure revealed the two-layer agar method had an overall increased sensitivity to fecal coliform detection in these waters. It is therefore proposed that this procedure be evaluated as an alternative to the Standard Methods fecal coliform membrane Filter test in the examination of chlorinated secondary effluents, marine waters, and any natural waters that may contain pollutants with heavy metal ions.
Subject(s)
Bacteriological Techniques/standards , Escherichia coli/isolation & purification , Water Microbiology , Agar , Chlorine , Evaluation Studies as Topic , Fresh Water , Micropore Filters , Seawater , Sewage , Water PollutionSubject(s)
Intermittent Positive-Pressure Breathing/instrumentation , Positive-Pressure Respiration , Sterilization , Bacteriological Techniques , Evaluation Studies as Topic , Hospital Bed Capacity, 300 to 499 , Hospital Bed Capacity, 500 and over , Positive-Pressure Respiration/instrumentation , Pseudomonas aeruginosa/isolation & purification , Respiratory Therapy Department, HospitalSubject(s)
Povidone/antagonists & inhibitors , Sulfites/pharmacology , Bacteriological Techniques , Candida albicans/drug effects , Culture Media , Enterococcus faecalis/drug effects , Escherichia coli/drug effects , Evaluation Studies as Topic , Fingers/microbiology , Hand/microbiology , Humans , Hygiene , Povidone-Iodine/antagonists & inhibitors , Pseudomonas aeruginosa/drug effects , Skin/microbiology , Soaps , Sodium/pharmacology , Staphylococcus/drug effects , Streptococcus pyogenes/drug effects , Thiosulfates/pharmacologySubject(s)
Antisepsis , Operating Rooms/standards , Povidone , Surface-Active Agents , Bacteriological Techniques , Female , Hand/microbiology , Humans , Hygiene , Male , Povidone-Iodine , Time FactorsSubject(s)
Culture Media , Enterobacteriaceae/isolation & purification , Temperature , Agar , Bacteriological Techniques , Culture Media/standards , False Negative Reactions , Feces/microbiology , Methods , Salmonella/isolation & purification , Salmonella typhimurium/isolation & purification , Shigella/isolation & purification , Shigella flexneri/isolation & purificationABSTRACT
Fluorescent-antibody (FA) techniques were employed in an attempt to develop a rapid test for the identification of group D streptococci. Fresh isolates were obtained from sewege and feces of sheep, cattle, horses, rabbits, chickens, geese, and rats. Identification to species were made by the conventional physiological, biochemical, and serological tests. Both whole and disrupted cells of representative strains of each species were used for the preparation of the group D streptococcus vaccine. Globulin fractions of individual and pooled antisera were labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate, and the resulting conjugates were tested with homologous and heterologous antigens. The specificity of the conjugates and staining was assessed by adsorption and inhibition tests utilizing controls with homologous and heterologous antigens. Employing the direct staining method and individual and pooled conjugates, it was possible to obtain 84 and 85% positive FA reactions, respectively, with group D streptococcal strains. Trypsinization of the smears prior to staining eliminated all FA cross-reactions observed with non-group D streptococci and staphylococci. These findings suggest that the direct staining method will be of value in the rapid identification of group D streptococci.
