The effect of a sewage treatment plant effluent on the faecal coliforms and enterococci populations of the reception river waters.
OBJECTIVE
A rural sewage treatment plant and the effect of its effluent on the enterococci and faecal coliforms populations of the receiving river waters was evaluated.


RESULTS
The enumeration of bacteria was performed by membrane filtration. Diversity and population similarity were analysed using the PhP-plates system. The treatment plant reduces the number of enterococci and faecal coliforms to values similar to those observed upstream. All water samples showed a high diversity for both bacterial populations. A high similarity in the composition and structure, was detected among all the samples.


CONCLUSIONS
The impact of the disposal of treated sewage on the river did not modify the composition of either bacterial populations in the river water.


CONCLUSIONS
The biochemical phenotyping of bacterial populations is a reliable tool for ecological and biodiversity studies. The obtained results provide a better understanding of the sewage treatment process and the impact of the treated sewage effluents in the environment.
Vilanova
Xavier
X
Departament de Microbiologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. vilanova@porthos.bio.ub.es
Manero
A
A
Cerdà-Cuéllar
M
M
Blanch
A R
AR
D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000382:microbiology*; D012722:Sewage / Q000382:microbiology*; D014871:Water Microbiology
D012722:Sewage