Resumo

CAMPOS-PINILLA, Claudia; CARDENAS-GUZMAN, Martha  e  GUERRERO-CANIZARES, Adriana. Performance of faecal contamination indicators in different type of waters from the sabana of Bogotá (Colombia). Univ. Sci. [online]. 2008, vol.13, n.2, pp.103-108. ISSN 0122-7483.

The world's population is growing at such rate that not only the demands for water supply have raised considerably but also its contamination levels. Residues from domestic and industrial origin have generated environmental problems and public health issues. Water contamination coming from domestic origin, shows a higher risk because of the quantity of organic matter and the presence of pathogenic microorganisms. Due to determinations of these pathogens requires sophisticated laboratories and the techniques used for their detection are very costly and time consuming, it is proposed an alternative technique using bacteria, virus and parasites as faecal indicators, since they exhibit similar behaviour, and their determination techniques are a lot simpler, faster and low cost. The objective of the present study is to evaluate the occurrence, concentration and behaviour of indicators from bacterial origin as faecal coliforms, from viral origin as somatic coliphages and F-specific RNA bacteriophages, and from parasite origin such as helminth eggs, Giardia cysts and Cryptosporidium oocysts. A series of samples were taken at surface, groundwater, drinking water and wastewater treatment system in the surrounding area of Bogotá (Colombia). The results show the presence of all microbial indicators in all water samples, in similar concentrations to those found in different countries with different environments.

Palavras-chave : contamination; indicators; quality; sanitary risk; water.

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