Engineering Commons^™

Bacteria Prediction For Recreational Waters Through The Use Of Artificial Neural Networks, Christopher Douglas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many scientists and government agencies rely on Fecal Indicator Bacteria (FIB) to determine the risk of exposure to pathogens in water. If there is a presence of these indicator bacteria, pathogenic microorganisms may also be present. These bacteria in recreational water bodies pose a health threat to people if ingested during activities such as swimming or from the consumption of marine life. The most commonly tested FIBs are total coliforms, Fecal coliforms, Escherichia coli, Fecal streptococci, and enterococci. The measurement of bacteria can be time consuming (up to 48 hours) and expensive, creating a difficulty in warning the public of …