Characterization of sewage waters by biochemical fingerprinting of Enterococci

• Published in: Water research (Oxford) Vol. 36; no. 11; pp. 2831 - 2835
• Main Authors: Manero, Albert, Vilanova, Xavier, Cerdà-Cuéllar, Marta, Blanch, Anicet R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2002; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Analytical Methods; Animals; Applied sciences; Automation; Bacteriological methods and techniques used in bacteriology; Bacteriology; Biological and medical sciences; Diversity; Enterococcus; Enterococcus - chemistry; Enterococcus - classification; Enterococcus - isolation & purification; Environmental Monitoring; Exact sciences and technology; Faecal pollution; Feces; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Manure - microbiology; Microbiology; Other wastewaters; Phenotype; Phenotyping; Pig slurry; Pollution; Population Dynamics; Sewage; Sewage - microbiology; Swine; Wastewaters; Water Microbiology; Water treatment and pollution; Enterococcus; Sewage; Pig slurry; Diversity; Phenotyping; Faecal pollution; Microbiological testing; Experimental study; Waste water; Streptococcaceae; Domestic waste water; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Swine; Fingerprint method; Bacteria; Micrococcales; Rearing; Artiodactyla; Feces; Ungulata
• ISSN: 0043-1354; 1879-2448
• DOI: 10.1016/S0043-1354(01)00486-9

Three sewage waters with different sources of faecal pollution (human, pig and mixed origin) were analysed. Enumeration of Enterococci was performed and representative strains for each sample were isolated. Biochemical fingerprints of these strains were obtained by using a simple automated microplate system. The structure and composition of the Enterococci populations were studied and the most representative biochemical profiles were determined by cluster analysis. The diversity index was high for all the sewage waters sampled. The enterococcal populations detected in the three kinds of sewage waters were similar. Although many of the representative strains were found in the three kinds of samples, some strains were detected only in human sewage and others only in pig slurry.