Protozoa in open reservoirs

A study of 6 open finished water reservoirs in New Jersey to determine the potential for contamination by Giardia, Cryptosporidium and other microbes is described. Samples from the reservoir influents and effluents were analysed using the immunofluorescence assay method and water quality data and pa...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the American Water Resources Association 1997-01, Vol.89 (9), p.84-96
Main Authors: LeChevallier, M W, Norton, W D, Atherholt, T B
Format: Article
Language:English
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:A study of 6 open finished water reservoirs in New Jersey to determine the potential for contamination by Giardia, Cryptosporidium and other microbes is described. Samples from the reservoir influents and effluents were analysed using the immunofluorescence assay method and water quality data and particle counts were obtained for each sampling day. Fifteen per cent of inlet samples and 25 per cent of the effluent samples contained either Giardia or Cryptosporidium. Significant differences between inlet and effluent values were also found for the other water quality parameters, particularly total and faecal coliform bacteria, which suggested that finished water quality was degraded by storage in an open reservoir. It was not possible to use the analytical method to assess the health risk posed by the organisms but the lack of discernible internal structures found suggested the risk was low. The problems of protecting reservoirs and controlling sources of contamination are discussed. There are 36 references.
ISSN:1093-474X