Improved Membrane Filter Method for Fecal Coliform Analysis

Appl Microbiol. 1975 April; 29(4): 532–536.

PMCID: PMC187020

Robert E. Rose, Edwin E. Geldreich, and Warren Litsky

^*Millipore Corporation, Bedford, Massachusetts 01730, National Environmental Research Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, Ohio 45286, and Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01002

This article has been cited by other articles in PMC.

Abstract

A two-layer agar method has been developed which consistently yields higher recovery of fecal coliforms on membrane filters when compared to the existing membrane fecal coliform procedure. This method has been evaluated by three laboratories using samples of raw and chlorinated waste water, and reservoir, river, and marine waters. Verification of 1,013 fecal coliform colonies isolated from 61 water samples averaged 92% on this proposed procedure. Comparison with the Standard Methods membrane fecal coliform procedure revealed the two-layer agar method had an overall increased sensitivity to fecal coliform detection in these waters. It is therefore proposed that this procedure be evaluated as an alternative to the Standard Methods fecal coliform membrane Filter test in the examination of chlorinated secondary effluents, marine waters, and any natural waters that may contain pollutants with heavy metal ions.

Full text

Full text is available as a scanned copy of the original print version. Get a printable copy (PDF file) of the complete article (689K), or click on a page image below to browse page by page. Links to PubMed are also available for Selected References.

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

Brown, C; Seidler, RJ. Potential pathogens in the environment: Klebsiella pneumoniae, a taxonomic and ecological enigma. Appl Microbiol. 1973 Jun;25(6):900–904. [PubMed]
Duncan, DW; Razzell, WE. Klebsiella biotypes among coliforms isolated from forest environments and farm produce. Appl Microbiol. 1972 Dec;24(6):933–938. [PubMed]
Eller, C; Edwards, FF. Nitrogen-deficient medium in the differential isolation of Klebsiella and Enterobacter from feces. Appl Microbiol. 1968 Jun;16(6):896–899. [PubMed]
Lin, S. Evaluation of coliform tests for chlorinated secondary effluents. J Water Pollut Control Fed. 1973 Mar;45(1):498–506. [PubMed]