THE DISTRIBUTION OF FECAL INDICATOR BACTERIA IN UMM QASR AND KHOR AL- ZUBAIR – BASRAH/ IRAQ

Abstract

Maintenance of the microbiological quality of water has been used as an important means for
preventing waterborne disease throughout the twentieth century. The commonest microbiological
tests done on water are for coliforms and Escherichia coli (or faecal coliform). In this study 432
samples were taken for total and fecal coliforms and biological demand oxygen. The samples were
collected at 12 stations from Khor Al-Zubair and Um Qasr port / Basrah- Iraq. From each site three
samples were taken from different depths (surface, middle and bottom). The samples were collected
in four periods at 6 hours during April- May 2009. Results indicated that the logarethmic no. of
total coliforms ranged from (2.18- 2.84) CFU/100ml, while the logarethmic no. of fecal coliforms
ranged from (0.86- 1.94) CFU/100ml. The biological oxygen demand (BOD5) values ranged from
(16.47- 20.07) mg/L. These reults indicated that the recipient environment was polluted and poses a
great concern.