Molecular Biology Commons^™

The Selective Survival Of Escherichia Coli In Freshwater Beach Sand, Natalie Ann Rumball

Theses and Dissertations

The quantification of Escherichia coli or E. coli is the most common method used to detect recent fecal pollution in recreational water, as this species is known for its high abundance in fecal matter and assumed host-associated nature. However, it has been determined that some strains are capable of long-term survival and potential propagation in non-host environments, such as the beach sand. These long-term environmental survivors are host-independent and are not associated with the same health risks as those E. coli from recent fecal pollution. However, they have been shown to impact how water quality is perceived as they are …