title: Limitations of highly sensitive enzymatic presence-absence tests for detection of waterborne coliforms and Escherichia coli.
abstract: This study presents evidence for the unfeasibility of enzymatic presence-absence tests to detect one total coliform or one Escherichia coli organism in 100 ml of drinking water within a working day. The results of field trials with prototype chemiluminometric procedures indicated that the sensitivity-boosting measures that are essential to achieve the required speed compromise the specificity of the tests.
authors.affiliation: University of Ghent, Laboratory for Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Belgium.
authors.forename: S O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Van Poucke
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Nelis
mesh_terms: D001431:Bacteriological Techniques / Q000592:standards; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005618:Fresh Water; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013997:Time Factors; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014881:Water Supply; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D001616:beta-Galactosidase