Evaluation of fecal pollution in costal italian waters by immunofluorescence -

Direct detection of fecal coliforma as indicatorts of fecal pollution may assess water quality more accurately than culture methods. An immunochemical technique involving the use of specific antibodies was applied in addition to plate counts to evaluate E.coli in seawater samples from different coastal areas in southern Italy. The immunofluorescent methods showed high specificity for enteroplathogenic E.coli although the presence of a threshold value of 100 cell/100 ml sets a lower limit to the possibility of applying this method. It proved to be a rapid screening method to distinguish between polluted and unpolluted areas.