Abstract

MARTINEZ A, Rosa  and  ALBARADO Y, Luzmila. Bacteriological quality of water of public and private pools of the city of Cumaná, Sucre state, Venezuela. Bol Mal Salud Amb [online]. 2013, vol.53, n.1, pp.37-45. ISSN 1690-4648.

To  evaluate  the  bacteriological  quality  of  water pools  in  the  city  of  Cumaná,  Sucre  state,  Venezuela,  water samples were collected in 1 public and 4 private pools, coded A to E, respectively, 2 samples were taken weekly for 2 months before  and  after  a  pool  cleaning  process.  We  determined pH, temperature and residual chlorine, aerobic mesophilic for total plate count, the Most Probable Number (MPN) for total coliforms  (TC)  and  fecal  (FC)  and  bacterial  identification  by conventional methods. The pH in the samples ranged between 6.8 and 7.3, temperature of 29 to 31ºC and chlorine residual of  0.3  to  0.5  mg/L  The  highest  count  of  aerobic  mesophilic bacteria was obtained in B with 6x10 2 . CFU/mL. In relation to the MPN, before cleaning, the CT highest value was obtained in D with 2.8 x10 3  and CT/100mL, E showed the highest CF value  with  6x10 2  CF/100mL. After  cleaning,  the  results  for  B indicated the CT highest values, 9.3 x10 2  CT/100mL, and in D and E the results had the CF highest values, 3x10 2  CF/100 mL. CF values   in the samples before and after cleaning exceed the  standards  established  by  Venezuela  (0  NMP/100mL). Statistically,  no  significant  differences  were  found  between pools for CT and CF before and after cleaning. Gram-negative bacteria  predominated,  being  more  frequent  in  E  (84.21%) and  B  (71.92%),  mainly,  Klebsiella  pneumoniae,  Escherichia coli  and  Pseudomonas  aeruginosa.  Sample  A  had  more isolated Gram-positive (44.44%), identified as Staphylococcus epidermidis and Enterococcus faecalis. These results indicate a constant bacterial contamination and health risk.

Keywords : microbiological  indicators; pools; water bacteriology; Most Probable Number; MPN.

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