Assessment of Microbiological Quality of Water Using Culture Methods, Flow Cytometry and Luminometry

Abstract

A very important role in determining the quality of water is the assessment of its microbiological quality. Water quality control, which could pose a direct threat to human health and life, is performed in the case of water produced at water treatment plants, tap water, or water in swimming pools. However, these traditional methods used to assess its quality are laborious and time-consuming. In emergency and incidental situations, in the era of terrorist threats, the need for quick, reliable, and reproducible microbiological determinations seems to be essential. In this study, an attempt was made to compare various methods of assessing the microbiological quality of water. The assessment was carried out for water with different microbiological characteristics: surface water, rainwater, groundwater, and water supply. The evaluation was carried out using traditional culture methods and high-speed methods: flow cytometry and luminometry. The analysis of microbiological parameters was the basis for the statistical analysis. The conducted microbiological analysis of various types of water, along with their statistical evaluation, showed different dependencies for each of the analyzed waters.