An improved procedure for shipboard enumeration of faecal indicator bacteria in marine sediments from sewage sludge disposal areas

摘要

An improved membrane filtration procedure for use on board ship to enumerateEscherichia coliand Group D faecal streptococci in marine sediments is described. Ultrasonication extraction combined with resuscitation of sublethally‐injured cells yielded significantly higher counts ofE. colithan sediments shaken by hand. Counts ofE. coliwere also higher on mFC agar (without rosalic acid) after a period of resuscitation on tryptone‐soy agar supplemented with 0.1 yeast extract than on a 4 Teepol‐lactose medium. Ultrasonication of sediments made no significant difference to counts of Group D faecal streptococci on KF‐streptococcus agar. These improved isolation procedures allowed better discrimination of the area affected by sewage sludge at a disposal site off the northeast coast of