| Escherichia coli in the Environment:
Implications for Water Quality and Human Health |
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| Satoshi Ishii1) and Michael J. Sadowsky1)2) |
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1) Department of Soil, Water, and Climate,
University of Minnesota
2) Department of BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota |
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(Received January 30, 2008)
(Accepted March 5, 2008) |
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Abstract:
Escherichia coli is naturally present in the intestinal tracts of warm-blooded
animals. Since E. coli is released into the environment through
deposition of fecal material, this bacterium is widely used as an indicator
of fecal contamination of waterways. Recently, research efforts have been
directed towards the identification of potential sources of fecal contamination
impacting waterways and beaches. This is often referred to as microbial
source tracking. However, recent studies have reported that E. coli
can become "naturalized" to soil, sand, sediments, and algae
in tropical, subtropical, and temperate environments. This phenomenon raises
issues concerning the continued use of this bacterium as an indicator of
fecal contamination. In this review, we discuss the relationship between
E. coli and fecal pollution and the use of this bacterium as an
indicator of fecal contamination in freshwater systems. We also discuss
recent studies showing that E. coli can become an active member
of natural microbial communities in the environment, and how this bacterium
is being used for microbial source tracking. We also discuss the impact
of environmentally-"naturalized" E. coli populations on
water quality. |
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| Keywords:
| Escherichia coli, water quality, fecal
pollution, health risks, "naturalized" population |
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