Fecal Enterococci Enumeration: Microbiological Control in Water Resources

Why is Fecal Enterococci Enumeration Important?

What are Fecal Enterococci?

Fecal enterococci are gram-positive, aerobic and anaerobic bacteria that are usually found in the intestines of humans and animals. These bacteria can contaminate the water supply by entering the water with feces. Fecal enterococci are one of the main indicators of microbiological contaminants usually found in drinking water and surface waters. This is because the presence of fecal enterococci indicates that the water is contaminated by feces and therefore pathogenic microorganisms may be present.

Fecal Enterococci Count: Why is it done?

Fecal enterococci counting is extremely important for microbiological assessment of water quality. The main reasons for this are as follows:

Prevention of Waterborne Diseases: Fecal enterococci can be carriers of waterborne diseases. These bacteria are carriers of pathogenic microorganisms that can cause serious diseases such as cholera, typhoid, hepatitis A and gastrointestinal infections. Therefore, the presence of these bacteria indicates that the water is contaminated and not healthy.
Drinking Water Safety: Counting fecal enterococci is necessary to ensure the safety of drinking water. Since the presence of these bacteria in drinking water poses a health risk, treatment should continue until the quality of the water is confirmed to be healthy.
Protection of Environmental Water Supplies: Fecal enterococci highlight the environmental impact of contaminated water. The presence of these bacteria in surface water sources indicates that the ecosystem is becoming contaminated and water resources need to be protected.
Water Quality Monitoring: Counting fecal enterococci in water is a standard test for regular monitoring of water quality. This test is done to assess whether the water is microbiologically safe.

What are the Methods for Counting Fecal Enterococci?

Various microbiological methods are used to count fecal enterococci. These methods are designed to quickly and accurately assess water quality. Commonly used methods are as follows:

Membrane Filtration Method: In this method, the water sample is passed through a special membrane filter and the bacteria accumulated on this filter are added to the medium. The colonies that develop on the medium are examined to determine the presence and quantity of fecal enterococci. Membrane filtration is widely used, especially in surface water and drinking water samples.
Most Probable Number (MPN) Method: MPN is usually used to detect fecal enterococci at low density. This method is performed by incubating water samples in a specific medium to estimate the numerical density of bacteria. Then, the number of colonies that develop is observed and the bacterial density is calculated.
Enzyme Bound Substrate Method (ESM): The enzyme-linked substrate method is a technique for rapid detection of fecal enterococci. In this method, the specific enzyme activities of the bacteria are measured. Results can be obtained within a few hours, making this method ideal for rapid testing.
Agar Plate Method: The agar plate method involves spreading water samples on agar media. SinceEnterococcus species show certain characteristics, the presence of the bacteria is determined by observing these characteristics. Agar plates are a traditional technique for the identification of fecal enterococci.
Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Method: PCR is used to detect the genetic material of fecal enterococci. Through DNA amplification, the presence of bacteria can be determined directly and with high sensitivity. PCR is often used to obtain fast and sensitive results, but can be more expensive and complex than other methods.

Nanolab Laboratories Group continues to provide services within the scope of Enumeration of Fecal Enterococci in Water. We also provide services for Clostridium Perfringens Detection in Water.

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