Evaluation of the methods for enumerating coliform bacteria from water samples using precise reference standards

• DOI: 10.1111/j.1472-765x.2006.01854.x
• Publication Date: 2006-02-16T11:59:52Z
• Authors: T. Wohlsen; J. Bates; G. Vesey; W.A. Robinson; M. Katouli
• Keywords: Enumeration; Enterobacter aerogenes; Coliform bacteria

To use BioBall cultures as a precise reference standard to evaluate methods for enumeration of Escherichia coli and other coliform bacteria in water samples.Eight were evaluated including membrane filtration, plate count (pour spread methods), defined substrate technology (Colilert Colisure), the most probable number method Petrifilm disposable method. Enterobacter aerogenes containing 30 organisms each used. All tests performed using 10 replicates. The mean recovery both varied with different employed.The best consistent results obtained pour Other either yielded low or showed significantly high variability between replicates.The is very suitable quality control tool evaluating efficiency bacterial samples.