title: [Indicators of water microbial pollution: problems and perspectives].
abstract: Conventional indicators of fecal contamination provide a precious contribution in evaluating water microbiological quality. In recent years some important issues have sprung up which have risen doubts about their reliability and have suggested a revision of their function. In developed countries, where the law regarding water quality is very strict, there have been several outbreaks, even though conventional indicators of fecal pollution pointed an appropriate microbiological quality. These outbreaks have been imputed to new pathogenic microorganisms which are often characterized by a great resistance to disinfection treatments than conventional indicators. In order to obtain an appropriate microbiological quality of waters, various approaches have been started such as the Water Safety Plans by World Health Organization the revision of the functions of suitable indicators (of the water quality), the setting up of specific methods either for pathogen microorganisms and for a quick surveying of an inadequate microbiological water quality.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Ambiente e Connessa Prevenzione Primaria, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Roma. assunta.nusca@iss.it
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nusca
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: D'Alessandro
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Funari
mesh_terms: D001435:Bacteriophages / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001439:Bacteroides / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001644:Bifidobacterium / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002110:Caffeine / Q000032:analysis; D004083:Cholestanol / Q000032:analysis; D003013:Clostridium / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000032:analysis / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011634:Public Health; D014871:Water Microbiology / Q000592:standards*; D018508:Water Purification / Q000592:standards; D014881:Water Supply / Q000592:standards*; D014944:World Health Organization
chemical_list: D002110:Caffeine; D004083:Cholestanol