Related Experiment Videos
Viable but nonculturable bacteria in drinking water.
J J Byrd1, H S Xu, R R Colwell
1Department of Microbiology, University of Maryland, College Park 20754.
Applied and Environmental Microbiology
|March 1, 1991
Summary
Most bacteria in drinking water, including Klebsiella pneumoniae and Enterobacter aerogenes, die off quickly. However, Bacillus and Pseudomonas species show better survival, indicating their persistence in water systems.
Area of Science:
- Environmental microbiology
- Water quality microbiology
Background:
- Drinking water systems can harbor diverse bacterial communities.
- Understanding bacterial survival in drinking water is crucial for public health and water safety.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the viability and growth of common bacterial strains in drinking water microcosms.
- To compare the effectiveness of different enumeration methods for monitoring bacterial survival.
Main Methods:
- Bacterial strains including Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter aerogenes, and Pseudomonas were cultured in drinking water microcosms.
- Growth and survival were monitored using plate counts, acridine orange direct counts (AODC), and direct viable counts (DVC).
Main Results:
- Plate counts for most tested bacteria dropped below detection limits within 7 days.
- Bacillus and Pseudomonas strains exhibited greater persistence compared to other tested bacteria.
- AODC remained constant, while DVC showed no change but were approximately 10-fold lower than AODC.
Conclusions:
- Many common bacteria do not survive long in drinking water environments.
- Bacillus and Pseudomonas species demonstrate enhanced survival capabilities in drinking water.
- Discrepancies between AODC and DVC highlight methodological considerations in viability assessments.