Question

You are working for the county health department this summer, and your job is to regularly survey the local beaches for microbial contamination.

Describe 3 tests you may use to analyze the water quality in these recreational areas.

You identify high levels of Enterobacter species in a sample one day. Summarize how you will convey this information to the beach supervisor who asks, “Are we shutting down today?”

Explain why there is little tolerance for fecal coliforms in drinking or recreational water.

Answer 1

1. water quality assays are performmed to tesst the water supply. methods involve a) plaate count in which sample of water is put over a solid medium and the population of the bacterium is determmined by the colonies formed. The dual lead test will test for the lead contect in the water and includes sample containers, and water check for the presence of heavy metals such as calcium, magnesium, iron etc.

2. enterobacter is not a fecal coliform, instead of facultative colliform . these kind of colliform can be natural nd nonpathogenic, so the breach is not required to be clsed, in a fecal matter beach could be closed.

3. fecal colliforms can be vectors of serious ailments; thats why they are frequently tested in water supply and recreational location like beach and lakes.