title: Hydrolysis of 4-methylumbelliferyl-beta-D-glucuronide in differing sample fractions of river waters and its implication for the detection of fecal pollution.
abstract: The hydrolysis rate of 4-methylumbelliferyl-beta-D-glucuronide (MUG-HR) was determined in unamended samples, filtered samples, and in corresponding buffer resuspended filter residues of various river waters of slight to excessive fecal pollution covering a four orders of magnitude range. Regression analysis of the log MUG-HR of the unamended water samples versus the log MUG-HR of the filter residues revealed a highly significant linear relationship (R2 = 0.94; p<0.001). The median of the MUG-HR of the filtrated water samples was about 10% the MUG-HR of the corresponding unamended water samples. If MUG-HR determinations were used as a surrogate for estimating fecal coliform contamination, both the MUG-HR of the unamended water samples and the MUG-HR of the filter residues would have been equally adequate techniques at river sites of higher fecal pollution levels. However, at river locations of decreased fecal pollution, MUG-HR determination of filter residues appeared to be the more sensitive technique in order to estimate fecal coliform concentrations.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biochemical Technology and Microbiology, Technical University of Vienna, Austria. a.farnleitner@aon.at
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Farnleitner
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hocke
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Beiwl
authors.forename: G G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Kavka
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Mach
mesh_terms: D004755:Enterobacteriaceae; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D006868:Hydrolysis; D006923:Hymecromone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013048:Specimen Handling; D014873:Water Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D014873:Water Pollutants; D006923:Hymecromone; C034888:4-methylumbelliferyl glucuronide