ALTERNATIVE MICROBIAL INDICATORS OF FAECAL POLLUTION: CURRENT PERSPECTIVE

Worldwide coliform bacteria are used as indicators of fecal contamination and hence, the possiblepresence of disease causing organisms. therefore, it is important to understand the potential andlimitations of these indicator organisms before realistically implementing guidelines and regulations tosafeguard our water resources and public health. this review addresses the limitations of current faecalindicator microorganisms and proposed significant alternative microbial indicators of water andwastewater quality. the relevant literature brings out four such significant microbial water pollutionindicators and the study of these indicators will reveal the total spectrum of water borne pathogens. ase.coli and enterococci indicates the presence of bacterial pathogens, coliphages indicate the presence ofenteric viruses, and clostridium perfringens, an obligate anaerobe, indicates presence of parasiticprotozoan and enteric viruses. therefore, monitoring a suite of indicator organisms in reclaimed effluentis more likely to be predictive of the presence of certain pathogens in order to protect public health, as nosingle indicator is most highly predictive of membership in the presence or absence category forpathogens.