FLOW CYTOMETRY AND PCR APPROACHES TO INVESTIGATE CHLORAMINATION INSTABILITY

摘要

This paper reports the results of a 14-month study where culture-independent microbiological approaches were applied to assess the quality of bulk water taken from an unstable chloraminated drinking water system. Total and active bacterial numbers were determined by flow cytometry and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used for detection of ammonia-oxidising Archaea (AOA) and bacteria (AOB). Flow cytometry was shown to be a useful approach for determining the microbiological stability of the system and to assess the effectiveness of air scouring conducted along two primary branch mains. PCR assays detected the presence of both AOB and AOA implicated in nitrification within the system. To our knowledge, this is the first report of AOA detection within a chloraminated drinking water system worldwide.