Water Quality Analysis

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts related to water quality analysis and waterborne diseases.

Waterborne diseases

Diseases caused by a variety of pathogens transmitted through water.

Potable water

Water used for drinking and cooking that undergoes extensive treatment.

Recreational water

Water from public ponds, lakes, swimming pools, etc.

Indicator organisms

Organisms routinely tested for in potable and recreational water to signal potential disease.

Coliforms

A type of indicator organism; not all are fecal.

Fecal coliforms

Coliforms used in water safety testing; Escherichia coli is a key example.

Enterococcus faecalis

Another indicator organism that is not a coliform.

Coliform characteristics

Gram-negative, non-endospore forming rods from Enterobacteriaceae family.

Most Probable Number (MPN)

A method for enumerating organisms recovered from water samples.

Colilert

Media used in testing, containing ONPG and MUG.

MPN Day 1

First day of MPN method that is a presumptive test.

Colilert® Test

A test where coliforms use β-galactosidase to metabolize ONPG and change it from colorless to yellow.

E. coli detection using Colilert

Test where E. coli uses β-glucuronidase to metabolize MUG and create fluorescence.