title: Impact of verification media and resuscitation on accuracy of the membrane filter total coliform enumeration technique.
abstract: Verification of membrane filter total coliform colonies was compared in lauryl tryptose broth, and m-LAC broth primary media and brilliant green-lactose-bile broth and EC broth secondary media. Verification in m-LAC broth yielded the greatest number of aerogenic isolates for both untreated surface water and drinking water samples. Verification in brilliant green-lactose-bile broth increased the number of false-negative reactions. At least 90% of the isolates aerogenic in primary verification media and anaerogenic in brilliant green-lactose-bile broth were representative of the coliform genera. The addition of a resuscitation step in the membrane filter technique did not yield greater numbers of verified coliforms per sample. Verification of both typical and atypical colonies in m-LAC broth resulted in a 10-fold increase in coliform numbers from untreated surface water. With drinking water, verification of both colony types resulted in an increase from less than 1 coliform per 100 ml to greater than 1/100 ml. A single-step verification in m-LAC broth is proposed as a more rapid and sensitive coliform verification procedure than the standard technique.
mesh_terms: D000332:Aerobiosis; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D003470:Culture Media; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005374:Filtration; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014881:Water Supply
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media