Why are coliforms used as indicator bacteria to monitor fecal contamination in water?
Various pathogenic microorganisms may be present in water and to check each drinking water supply for each possible pathogen would be difficult, laborious and costly. In practice, indicator bacteria are used instead. These are bacteria that are associated with the intestinal tract of warm-blooded organisms, whose presence in water indicates fecal contamination. The most widely used fecal pollution indicators are the Coliform bacteria. These bacteria are common inhabitants of human and warm-blooded animals, and are generally present in the intestinal tract in large numbers. When excreted into the water environment, the coliforms eventually die, but they do not die at any faster rate than most waterborne pathogenic microorganisms, and both the coliforms and the pathogens behave similarly during water purification processes. Thus, it is likely that if coliforms are found in water sample, the water has received fecal contamination, not sufficiently purified and may be unsafe for drinking.
Related Questions
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- Why are coliforms used as indicator bacteria to monitor fecal contamination in water?
