ENUMERATION OF SULPHITE-REDUCING CLOSTRIDIA FROM DRINKING WATER AND RIVERS IN BASRAH CITY USING MODIFIED DRCM MEDIUM

Abstract

The enumeration of sulphite-reducing clostridia from water upon modifiedDRCM was evaluated against DRCM and RCM using 80 samples of treated drinking waters and river waters with or without heat treatment of the samples. The recoveries of presumptive sulphite-reducing clostridia were significantly higher on modified DRCM (85.7% on drinking water and 81.25% on rivers), while 48.75% and 28.5% respectively on DRCM, and 31.25% and 21.45% on RCM. Heat treatment of samples to 70 C˚ for 10 minutes prior to filtration reduced bothclostridia and background on modified DRCM but did not affect counts on DRCM. Four species were identified as Clostridium perfringens, C. baratii, C.ramosum, and C. difficile.

Keywords

RCM, DRCM, m-DRCM, Clostridium