title: Microbiological, coliphages and physico-chemical assessments of the Umgeni River, South Africa.
abstract: The water quality of Umgeni River in KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa) was investigated from April 2011 to January 2012. Indicator bacterial populations, physico-chemical properties, heavy metal contaminants and the presence of coliphages were determined according to standard protocols. The results showed that all sampling points failed to comply with the set guidelines for turbidity, total coliform, faecal coliform and total heterotrophic counts. Salmonella spp., Shigella spp. and Vibrio cholerae were also detected in all the water samples. The somatic coliphages and F-RNA coliphages were detected more frequently in the lower reaches of the river during summer. Temperature, electrical conductivity and pH were found to have positive relationships with the microbial communities especially in the lower catchment area during spring and summer indicating the impacts of various anthropogenic activities in the surrounding areas.
authors.affiliation: a School of Life Sciences , University of KwaZulu-Natal , Westville, Durban , South Africa.
authors.forename: Atheesha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Johnson
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003090:Coliphages / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000821:virology; D013019:South Africa; D014871:Water Microbiology; D060753:Water Quality; D014881:Water Supply
keywords: Umgeni River; canonical correspondence analysis; coliphages; indicator micro-organisms; physico-chemical parameters