title: Escherichia coli in marine water: Comparison of methods for the assessment of recreational bathing water samples.
abstract: Bathing Water Directive (2006/7/EC) specifies two reference methods for Escherichia coli detection: ISO 9308-1 and 9308-3. The revised ISO 9308-1 is recommended only for waters with a low bacterial background flora. Considering the extended time needed for analysis and, generally, the lack of experience in using ISO 9308-3 in the Mediterranean, the suitability of ISO 9308-1 for the examination of E. coli in bathing water was evaluated. The present study was aimed at a comparison of data obtained by the reference method in seawater samples (110 beaches, N=477) with data received from six alternative methods. Results show that recently used TSA/TBA method may overestimate E. coli numbers in marine waters. The temperature modified ISO 9308-1 (44°C) did not significantly alter the results, but outperformed the antibiotic supplemented agar at reducing non-E. coli bacteria on the plates, allowing the use of the respective method for monitoring coastal water.
authors: Teaching Institute of Public Health of Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, Department of Environmental Health, Krešimirova 52a, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia; University of Rijeka, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Environmental Health, Braće Branchetta 20, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia. Electronic address: darija@zzjzpgz.hr.
authors: Darija Vukić
authors: DV
authors: Lušić
authors: Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Šetalište Ivana Meštrovića 63, 21000 Split, Croatia. Electronic address: sjozic@izor.hr.
authors: Slaven
authors: S
authors: Jozić
authors: Teaching Institute of Public Health of Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, Department of Environmental Health, Krešimirova 52a, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia. Electronic address: arijana.cenov@zzjzpgz.hr.
authors: Arijana
authors: A
authors: Cenov
authors: Teaching Institute of Public Health of Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, Department of Environmental Health, Krešimirova 52a, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia. Electronic address: marin@zzjzpgz.hr.
authors: Marin
authors: M
authors: Glad
authors: University of Rijeka, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Environmental Health, Braće Branchetta 20, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia. Electronic address: bulicmarko@yahoo.com.
authors: Marko
authors: M
authors: Bulić
authors: University of Rijeka, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Environmental Health, Braće Branchetta 20, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia. Electronic address: drazen.lusic@medri.uniri.hr.
authors: Dražen
authors: D
authors: Lušić
mesh_terms: D001493:Bathing Beaches / Q000592:standards*; D017523:Croatia; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008522:Mediterranean Sea; D011998:Recreation; D012623:Seawater / Q000382:microbiology*; D014871:Water Microbiology
keywords: Alternative method; Chromocult® Coliform Agar; Coastal water quality; Escherichia coli; ISO method; Method comparison