Hatha, A A M; Abirosh, Chandran(Elsevier, January 11, 2005)
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Abstract:
Microcosm studies have been carried out to find out the relative survival of Escherichia coli and Salmonella
typhimurium in a tropical estuary. Survival has been assessed in relation to the important self-purifying parameters such
as biotic factors contained in the estuarine water, toxicity due to the dissolved organic and antibiotic substances in the
water and the sunlight. The results revealed that sunlight is the most important inactivating factor on the survival of E.
coli and S. typhimurium in the estuarine water. While the biological factors contained in the estuarine water such as
protozoans and bacteriophages also exerted considerable inactivation of these organisms, the composition of the water
with all its dissolved organic and inorganic substances was not damaging to the test organisms. Results also indicated
better survival capacity of E. coli cells under all test conditions when compared to S. typhimurium