Abstract
The pollution of natural waters is a serious worldwide problem due to the constant dumping of untreated or poorly treated domestic and industrial wastes. The aims of this work are to evaluate the microbiological water quality of the Tourist Complex Las Terrazas and to determine the ratio of Escherichia coli/fecal coliform. The samples were collected from 10 sampling stations of Las Terrazas. Fecal coliform and E. coli were isolated and quantified. The results show that the aquatic ecosystems of Las Terrazas do not have a high contamination degree, with values of E. coli within the maximum limit established by Cuban standards for recreational water and irrigation, but the fecal coliform values were slightly higher than the established standards. There is no linear correlation between the concentrations of these indicators of fecal contamination, with an average value of 0.46 for the ratio E. coli/ fecal coliform. These results show the good microbiological water quality of Las Terrazas and increase the information about this ecosystem located in Sierra del Rosario (Biosphere Reserve).
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
AFNOR – Association Française de Normalisation. Qualité de l’eau (2001) Analyses biochimiques et biologiques – Analyses microbiologiques. Tome 4. Agence Française de Normalisation, Paris
Allen M (1996) La importancia para la Salud Pública de los indicadores bacterianos que se encuentran en el agua potable. Reunión sobre la calidad del Agua Potable. CEPIS. OPS. OMS, Lima
Byamukama D, Mach RL, Kansiime F, Manafi M, Farnleitner AH (2005) Discrimination efficacy of fecal pollution detection in different aquatic habitats of a high altitude tropical country, using presumptive coliforms, Escherichia coli, and Clostridium perfringes spores. Appl Environ Microbiol 71(1):65–71
Easton J (1998) The development of a risk assessment methodology to evaluate the adverse human health effect of pathogens found in servage contaminates waters. Environmental health engineering program. University of Alabama at Birmingham
Fewtrell L, Bartram J (2001) Water quality: guidelines, standards and health. World health organization water series. IWA. Publishing, London (U.K.): ISBN: 1900222 28 0
Fujioka R, Shizumura LK (1983) Clostridium perfringens: a reliable indicator of stream water quality. J Water Pollut Contr Fed 57:986–992
García-Armisen T, Prats J, Servais P (2007) Comparison of culturable fecal coliforms and Escherchia coli enumeration in freshwaters. Can J Microbiol 53:798–801
Hamilton WP, Kim M, Thackston EL (2005) Comparison of commercially available Escherchia coli enumeration tests: implications for attaining water quality standards. Water Res 39: 4869–4878
Jones K, Obiri-Danso K (1999) Non-compliance of beaches with the EU directives of bathing water quality: evidence of non-point sources of pollution in Morecambe Bay. J Appl Microbiol Symp Suppl 85:101S–107S
Kay D, Wyer MD, Crowther J, Fewtrell L (1999) Faecal indicator impacts on recreational waters: budget studies and diffuse source modelling. J Appl Microbiol Symp Suppl 85:70S–82S
Kloot RW, Radakovich B, Huang X, Brantley D (2006) A comparison of bacterial indicators and methods in rural surface waters. Environ Monit Assess 121:275–287
Leclerc H, Mossel DAA, Edberg SC, Struijk CB (2001) Advances in the bacteriology of the coliform group: their suitability as markers of microbial water safety. Annu Rev Microbiol 55:201–234
Manafi M (2000) New development in chromogenic and fluorogenic culture media. Int J Food Microbiol 60:205–218
Marchand EO (2002) Microorganismos indicadores de la calidad del agua de consumo humano en Lima Metropolitana. Tesis para optar al título profesional de biólogo con mención en Microbiología y Parasitología. Universidad del Perú, Decana de América
Norma Cubana (1999) Lugares de baño en costas y en masas de aguas interiores. Requisitos higiénicos sanitarios. 1ra edn. Oficina Nacional de Normalización. Cuba
Peña B (2000) Caracterización de Sistemas Hidrominerales en el Distrito Físico Geográfico Pinar del Río. Tesis de Maestría en Geografía, Medio Ambiente y Ordenamiento Territorial. Facultad de Geografía. Universidad de La Habana. www.sld.cu/galerias/pdf/sitios/rehabilitacion-bal/tesisboris.pdf
Prats J, Larrea J, García-Armisen T, Lugo D, Rodríguez A, Servais P, Rojas N, Heydrich M et al (2006) Potential risk due to the microbial pollution in the Almendares river, Havana Cuba contribution to the education and environmental protection. Vol. 7. ISBN 959-7136-43-0
Prats J, García-Armisen T, Larrea J, Servais P (2008) Comparison of culture-based methods to enumerate Escherichia coli in tropical and temperate freshwaters. Lett Appl Microbiol 46(2): 243–248
Romeu B, Rojas N, Marzán R, Lugo D (2008) Necesidad de una conciencia ambientalista en torno al uso de las aguas contaminadas del río Almendares. Contribución a la Educación y la Protección Ambiental 8:209–222
Toranzos GA, McFeters GA (1997) Detection of indicator microorganisms in environmental freshwaters. In: Hurst CJ, Knudsen GR, McInerney MJ, Stetzenbach LD, Walter MV (eds) Manual of environmental microbiology. American Society for Microbiology, Washington, pp 184–194
USEPA (2002) Implementation guidance for ambient water quality criteria for bacteria (draft). EPA-823-B-003, Office of Water, Washington
Wright RC (1982) A comparison of the levels of faecal indicator bacteria in water and human faeces in a rural area of a tropical developing country (Sierra Leone). J Hyg 89:69–78
Acknowledgments
This study was carried out in Tourist Complex “Las Terrazas”. The authors want to thank to Fidel Hernández for his help during the fieldwork and to the CUD for the financial support of this research.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Murrell, J.A.L., Badía, M.M.R., Moya, D.L., Pérez, M.H. (2013). Behavior of Fecal Contamination Indicators in Waters of the Tourist Complex “Las Terrazas”, Pinar del Río, Cuba. In: Farfán González, H., Corvea Porras, J., de Bustamente Gutiérrez, I., LaMoreaux, J. (eds) Management of Water Resources in Protected Areas. Environmental Earth Sciences. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-16330-2_30
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-16330-2_30
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-16329-6
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-16330-2
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)