• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.189-196
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• 2002

The direct detection of intestinal pathogens and viruses often requires costly, tedious, and time-consuming procedures. These requirements developed a test to show that the water was contaminated with sewage-borne pathogens by assessing the hygienic quality of water based on indicator microorganisms whose presence indicates that pathogenic microorganisms may also be present. Various groups of microorganisms have been suggested and used as indicator microorganisms. Proposed and commonly used microbial indicators are total coliforms, fecal coliforms, fecal streptococci, Clostridium perfringens, heterotrophic plate count, bacteriophage, and so on. Unfortunately, most, if not all, of these indicators are not ideal because of the sensitivity and resistance to environment stresses and disinfection. However, the development of gene probes and PCR technology may give hope for the discovery of rapid and simple methods toy detecting small number of fecal pathogens in various environments.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.627-635
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• 2006

Combined sewer overflow (CSOs) is a primary diffuse source degrading water quality of urban streams. In this study, CSOs caused by 5 different rainfall events at an urban watershed located in Daejeon city were monitored for the indicator microorganism concentrations. Event mean concentration (EMC) of the indicator microorganisms were: total coliform = $2.46{\times}10^6CFU/100mL$; fecal coliform = $1.01{\times}10^6CFU/100mL$; E.coli = $5.20{\times}10^5CFU/100mL$; and Fecal Streptococci = $6.08{\times}10^5CFU/100mL$. In addition, coliform concentrations were well correlated with suspended solid concentrations and the first flush effects were identified. Settling tests were carried out to estimate removal rate of indicator organisms by sedimentation from CSOs. As microorganisms are discharged in association with suspended solid, ten minutes of settlement can lower 44% of indicator microorganism leading.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.229-235
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• 2010

Efforts to evaluate water pollution using indicator microorganisms have been underway for decades, and driven by research on water purity control applications, water quality criteria are growing more and more strict. Furthermore, recent reports indicate that high concentrations of antibiotics are not absorbed, and are present in excrement from animals and humans dosed with unnecessarily high levels of antibiotics. This has emerged as very important issue from the standpoint of being an ecological and health hazard. In this study, water pollution was analyzed through physicochemical and microbiological means, and antibiotic resistance in indicator microorganisms was assessed. In physicochemical analysis, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)$_5$ and chemical oxygen demand (COD)$_{Mn}$ evaluation showed that pollution by organisms was highest at the G1 location with a high human population, and the DP location which has many livestock-containing households. The indicator organism levels at the G1 location were: Total Coliforms (1205 colony forming units (CFU)/100 ml), Fecal Coliforms (270 CFU/100 ml), Escherichia coli (253 CFU/100 ml) and Fecal Streptococci (210 CFU/100 ml), while for the DP location levels were: Total Coliforms (1480 CFU/100 ml), Fecal Coliforms (438 CFU/100 ml), E. coli (560 CFU/100 ml), and Fecal Streptococci (348 CFU/100 ml). Levels of fecal indicator microorganisms such as Fecal Coliforms, E. coli and Fecal Streptococci were high at all locations in the fall (the period after the rainy season), and the yearly distribution was similar between these organisms. If the number of livestock-containing households was high, almost all strains of E. coli (as distinct from the other indicator organisms) showed resistance to antibiotics, with the degree of resistance varying between areas. E. coli strains from the OY area in particular, which has a high population density, showed strong resistance to AM10 and Va30. While strong antibiotic resistance was observed overall at the DP and OY locations, no resistance was observed at the EB location.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.1075-1081
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• 2006

In this research, mortality rates of pathogen indicator microorganisms discharged from various point sources and diffuse sources in urban area were measured. Water samples were taken at domestic sewer, combined sewer overflow, effluent from a wastewater treatment plant, urban river, and sediment of an urban river. Mortality rates of indicator microorganisms in domestic sewer estimated by assuming the first order kinetics at $20^{\circ}C$ were as follows: total coliform = 0.092/day, fecal coliform = 0.185/day, E. coli = 0.252/day, and fecal streptococci = 0.281/day. Sensitivity of mortality rates of total coliform on temperature was estimated as $K_{temp}=K_{20}{\times}1.162^{(temp-20)}$ for the range of $10-20^{\circ}C$. Mortality rates due to sunlight were measured as 1.22-1.59/day while mortality rate due to settling for 40 min were estimated as $9.21{\times}10^3-20.0{\times}10^3/day$.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.76-83
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• 2009

In 2005, the 5.84-Km length of Cheonggyecheon stream, previously covered with concrete road, was uncovered in the middle of Seoul, Korea. We investigated microbial water quality in various sites in Cheonggyecheon stream. We took water samples on three different days. The sampling sites included inflow water from upper stream (Mojeongyo), midstream (Ogansugyo), and downstream (Muhakgyo). Fecal pollution indicator microorganisms were measured by both IDEXX $Colilert^{(R)}$ and $Enterolert^{(R)}$. Microbial community from these sampling sites was also characterized based on 16S rRNA gene sequences. The average concentrations of total coliform are 5 CFU/100 mL, 1474 CFU/100 mL, and 1776 CFU/100 mL at Mojeongyo, Ogansugyo, and Muhakgyo, respectively. The average concentrations of fecal coliform were 28 CFU/100 mL, 47 CFU/100 mL in Ogansugyo, and Muhakgyo, respectively. The concentrations of other fecal indicator microorganisms including E. coli and Enterococcus sp. increased in downstream. When we characterized the microbial community, unique microbial community were discovered at different sampling sites. This study suggests that Cheonggyechoen stream is likely affected by non-point fecal sources and has unique microbial environment as the river flows downstream.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.162-168
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• 2009

The aim of this study is to investigate microbial sanitary condition of public baths in Seoul, Korea. A total of 28 water samples were collected from 14 different public baths and sudatoriums. The prevalence of fecal indicator microorganisms such as total coliform, fecal coliform, and Escherichia coli was characterized. In addition, bacteria in water was membrane filtered by 0.45um nitrocellulose membrane, and the filter was analyzed by both cultivation and PCR amplification of partial 16S rRNA gene. The levels of chlorine were measured for each of water samples. More than 40% of 14 collected water samples, the concentrations of total coliform bacteria exceeded the water quality for bath water guideline. There was no significant correlation between chlorine residue and the presence of total coliform. Various microorganisms including pathogenic microorganisms were identified from cultivation and subsequent analysis of 16s rRNA gene sequences. Our results suggest that appropriate hygiene practice and continuous monitoring is needed for reducing health risk associated with public bathhouses.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.289-297
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• 2011

Objectives: To estimate the microbial contaminant load discharged from livestock farms, we randomly selected livestock farmers of cattle, swine, and fowl and collected bacterial strains from domestic animals' feces and compost samples. Recently, as multi-antibiotic-resistant bacteria and super bacteria showing resistance to a variety of antibiotics have been reported one after another, the ecological and health hazard of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is emerging as an important issue. Methods: Monitored indicator microorganism constituents were totak coliform (TC), fecal coliform (FC), and aerobic bacteria. The multi-antibiotic-resistant bacteria were identified from investigated indicator microorganisms by 16S rRNA sequencing. Results: By microbiological analysis, the largest population of aerobic bacteria ($1.5{\times}10^5$ CFU/g) was found in cattle fecal compost, and total coliforms ($1.1{\times}10^7$ CFU/g) and fecal coliforms ($1.0{\times}10^5$ CFU/g) were found primarily in swine fecal compost, while the lowest population was found in fowl fecal compost. Among the 67 strains separated from aerobic bacteria, five strains expressing high antibiotic resistance were selected in each sample. We found the multi-antibiotic resistant strains to be Shigella boydii, Staphylococcus lentus, Acinetobacter sp. and Brevibacterium luteolum. Conclusions: These results suggest that increasing numbers of multi-antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the environment have a close relation to the reckless use of antibiotics with livestock.

• Magazine of the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.45 no.7
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• pp.94-106
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• 2003

A pilot study was performed to examine the feasibility of UV disinfection system and the reactivation of indicator microorganisms (TC, FC, E. coli) after UV irradiation for agricultural reuse of reclaimed water. Photoreactivation and dark repair enable UV-inactivated microorganisms to recover and may reduce the efficacy of UV inactivation, which might be drawbacks of the UV disinfection method. The effluent of biofilter for 16-unit apartment house was used as input to the UV disinfection system, and average SS and BOD concentration were 3.8 and 5.7 mg/L, respectively, and the mean level of total coliform was in the range of $1.0\times10^4$ MPN/100mL. UV disinfection was found to be effective and it reduced mean concentration of indicator microorganisms (total coliform, fecal coliform, and E. coli) to less than 100 MPN/100mL within 60s exposure using 17, 25, and 40W lamps. Two UV doses of 6 and 16 mW$\cdot$s/$\textrm{km}^2$ were applied and microorganisms reactivation was monitored under the dark, photoreactivating light, and solar irradiation. Microorganisms reactivation was observed in the UV dose of 6 mW$\cdot$s/$\textrm{km}^2$, and numbers increased up to 5% at the photoreactivating light and 1% at the dark. However, microorganisms were inactivated rather than reactivated at the solar radiation and numbers decreased to non-detectible level about below 2 MPN/100mL in 4 hours. In the case of 16 mW$\cdot$s/$\textrm{km}^2$, microorganism reactivation was not observed indicating that UV dose might affect the reactivation process such as photoreactivation and dark repair. Therefore, concerns associated with microorganism reactivation could be controlled by sufficient UV dose application. Agricultural reuse of reclaimed water might be even less concerned due to exposure to the solar irradiation that could further inactivate microorganisms. The pilot study result is encouraging, however, sanitary concern in water reuse is so critical that more comprehensive investigation is recommended.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.75-85
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• 2005

A study was performed to examine the effects of reclaimed-water irrigation on microorganism con-centration in ponded-water of paddy rice plots. Several treatments were used and each one was triplicated to evaluate the change of indicator microorganisms (total coliforms (TC), fecal coliforms FC), and E. coli) concentrations in 2003 and 2004 growing seasons. Their concentrations increased significantly right after irrigation, but decreased about $45\%$ in 24 hours. It implies that agricultural activities such as plowing and fertilizing should be practiced one or two days after irrigation considering health-risks. Treatments with UV-disinfected water irrigation demonstrated significantly lower concentrations than others including control plots where natural surface water was irrigated. The monitoring results from actual paddy rice fields and experimental paddy plots showed that concentrations of indicator microorganisms ranged from $10^2\;to\;10^5$ MPN/100mL. A comprehensive assessment of existing agricultural practices and a thorough monitoring in the field as well as treatment-plots are recommended to make more realistic national guidelines more applicable. UV-disinfected water irrigation reduced microorganism concentrations in paddy fields down to below the concentration of conventional paddy rice culture, and is thought to be an effective and feasible measure fur agricultural reuse of secondary effluent.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.86-94
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• 2008

Lake Shiwha, an artificial lake located near metropolitan Seoul, offers a unique water environment and has been suspected to have high levels of chemical and microbiological contaminations. Lake Shiwha was originally connected to the sea but currently has four major surface water inputs from agricultural, municipal, industrial areas and in addition an occasional inflow from the sea. The objectives of this study are to investigate the relative contribution of microbial contaminants from each of the inflowing surface waters and to identify appropriate microbial indicator organisms in this unique water environment. We measured the levels of microbial contaminations in the four inflowing surface waters. A number of microbial indicator organisms including total coliform (TC), fecal coliform (FC), E. coli, Enterococci, somatic and male-specific coliphages were analyzed. Bacterial indicator microorganisms were detected and quantified by the $Colilert^{(R)},\;Enterolert^{(R)}$ kit. Surface water (50 l) was sampled by $ViroCap^{TM}\;5"$ cartridge filters and analyzed by the single agar layer method for detecting coliphages. The concentrations of TC, FC, E. coli, and Enterococci were 1543 CFU/100 ml${\sim}1.99{\times}10^6$ CFU/100 ml, 0 CFU/100 ml${\sim}202$ CFU/100ml, 0 CFU/100 ml${\sim}1.80{\sim}10^5$ CFU/100ml, 74 CFU/100 ml${\sim}3408$ CFU/100 ml, respectively. The male-specific and somatic coliphages were detected in three different inflowing surface waters. Isolated E. coli and Enterococci strains were further analyzed by 16s rDNA amplification and subsequent phylogenetic analysis from Jungwang-chun, Ansan-chun, Banwol-chun and penstock of inflowing surface water. Our results indicated that the concentrations of different fecal indicator microorganisms might not be highly correlated with each other. Multiple microbial indicator organisms should be used for monitoring microbial contamination and microbial source tracking methods.