This 44-page booklet starts with a brief tutorial on the presence of bacteria in Florida lakes, and the aquatic environment in general, and then quickly turns to the subject that lake users are most interested in: possible sources of bacterial contamination and how to test for it. The discussion includes a comparison of the effectiveness of wastewater treatment plants versus septic tanks. Also, indicators used for detecting bacterial contamination are explained, along with basic laboratory methods. Lastly, an easy 4-step process is provided for tracking down bacterial contamination in a waterbody. Laboratory suppliers are listed at the end for individuals or groups interested in doing their own bacterial sampling. Chapters:
Part 1 A Brief Lesson On Bacteria
Part 2 Sources of Bacterial Contamination
Part 3 The Wastewater Treatment Debate
Part 4 Indicators Used to Detect Bacterial Contamination
Part 5 Laboratory Methods for Counting
Part 6 Criteria for Assessing Coliform Contamination in Florida Waters
Part 7 A Four Step Process for Identifying and Locating Bacterial Contamination
Keywords: amoebas, bacteria, bacterial contamination, coliform, colony forming units, CFUs, counts, contamination, cyanobacteria, decomposers, domestic animal waste, E. coli, Enterobacteriaceae, Enterococcus, Escherichia coli, false positives, fecal coliforms, human waste, indicator organisms, inoculated, lactose fermentation, membrane, filtration, most probable number (MPN), naturally occurring contamination, pathogenic, pathogens, plate counts, presence/absence, protozoa, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, septic tanks, taxonomy, total coliforms, viruses, wastewater treatment plant, wildlife
Note: Circular 106 is available in Portable Document Format (pdf) only. It can be obtained as a single PDF file by clicking on the "Printer Friendly Version" link above (file size = 1.1 MB).
Photos used with permission as credited.
