Pollution monitoring of coastal and estuarine areas: I. Bacterial indicators along the south Gujarat coast

Abstract

A study was undertaken to assess the validity of enteric and supplemental bacterial indicators along the 115-km length of the south Gujarat region (India). Enteric organisms like <i>Proteus </i>and <i>Klebsiella, Escherichia coli, Salmonella </i>and

<i>Shigella </i>were detected in 74, 25, 4 and 2 % respectively of the 47 samples. Supplemental indicators such as <i>Vibrio parahaemolyticus </i>and <i>Vibrio cholerae </i>like organisms were retrieved in 8 and 4 % of samples whereas <i>Pseudomonas</i>

<i>aeruginosa </i>like organisms could not be detected. Total coliforms and total vibrios were retrieved in 27 and 55 % of the samples. The validity of these bacterial groups as water quality indicators is discussed with statistical relations. It is suggested that inclusion of these groups could be made mandatory in coastal and estuarine waters for the environmental

<span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:" times="" new="" roman";="" mso-fareast-font-family:"times="" roman";color:black;mso-ansi-language:en-in;="" mso-fareast-language:en-in;mso-bidi-language:hi"="" lang="EN-IN">impact <span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:" times="" new="" roman";="" mso-fareast-font-family:hiddenhorzocr;color:black;mso-ansi-language:en-in;="" mso-fareast-language:en-in;mso-bidi-language:hi"="" lang="EN-IN">assessment.</span></span>