Bacteria as a bio indicator for water pollution

Abstract

The coliform group has been used widely as a trademark of water quality and has traditionally led to the public health protection concept. Total coliforms are a group of bacteria commonly found in the environment, for example in soil or plant life, in addition to the intestines of mammals, including humans. Total coliform bacteria are not likely to cause disease, but their presence indicates that the water supply may be prone to contamination by extra dangerous microorganisms. Escherichia coli (E. coli) are the only member of the total coliform group of bacteria that is found only in the intestines of mammals, including humans. The presence of E. coli in water indicates recent fecal contamination and may indicate the possible presence of disease-causing pathogens, such as bacteria, viruses, and parasites. The aim of this thesis is to examine methods currently in use for the detection of coliforms in different source of water, bacterial growth on nutrient media. Isolated bacterial colonies were then gram stained and tested using several biochemical tests to identify the strain of bacteria. The identified bacteria were Klebsialla, Escherichia coli, staphylococcus aureus and staphylococcus epidermidis Finally, count total coliform bacteria using CFU proving amounts of bacteria compared to other bacteria in different source of water.