First of all, let me state that I don't work with water samples.
It has always been my understanding, however, that coliforms can be
present in water without being from humans with the exception of E.
coli. That is why E. coli (in all its various strains and forms, which
are irrelevant here) is tested for to determine fecal contamination of
water. I believe species of Enterobacter can occur in nature, but
they're obviously also found in human feces.
Will you environmental micro people say yea or nay to this? I don't
want to mislead anyone. I can't comment on point 2 and 3 as I just
don't know.
Judy Dilworth, M.T. (ASCP)
Microbiology (Clinical only)
DEAN JARVIS wrote:
>> Hi,
> I've got a few questions that I was hoping someone might be able to help me with.
> 1. Do faecal coliforms exist naturally in water ways or are they only present when warm blooded animal excretions are present?
>> 2. Does anyone know the journal no. for the article in Nature or New Scientist that talked about the survival characteristics of fc in waterways?
>> 3.. Does anyone know how prevalent fc are in the air, from human breath (what I'm trying to determine is the viability of some new fc filtration equipment that doesn't have a lids)?
>> Regards DEan
>> ---
