FATE OF COLIPHAGES IN ESTUARY

Abstract

Coliphage concentration and fecal coliform concentration in a river, estuary and sea in series were measured for seven times in a year. Three kinds of host cells, namely E. coli K12 F⁺ (A/λ), E. coli B and E. coli C and application of RNase enabled to detect four groups of coliphages. Coliphage concentration ranged from 40PFU/mL to 410PFU/mL in the river, from 0PFU/mL to 45PFU/mL in the sea in using E. coli K12 F⁺ (A/λ) strain. Coliphage counts obtained by other two strains were almost same as or slightly less than that obtained by E. coli K12 F⁺ (A/λ). Correlation between coliphages and fecal coliform was low. Excluding the effect of the dilution of the river water by sea water using the value of electric conductivity, coliphages transported along the river could be assumed to be constant in number, while fecal coliform was sometimes decreased or increased. Viruses, like coliphages, are possibly transported along a river, being decreased in concentration only with the dilution by sea water.