Biochemical Classification of Coliforms Isolated from Drinking Water

식수에서 분리한 대장균군의 생화학적 성상에 의한 균종별 분포

A total of 136 coliform bacteria isolated from spring water (112 strains) and ground water (24 strains), submitted to Seoul Health and Environmental Research Institute from June to July in 1997, were characterized biochemically and microbiologically. Colonical characteristics of each isolate were also noted, including color and texture on EMB agar. Among the 136 isolates, 50.7% were greenish metallic sheen color, 44.2% were pink and 5.1% were violet. The sixty four percent were smooth, 34.6% were mucoid and 0.7%. were rough. Twenty three bacterial species were identified by IMViC and API 20E test. Among the 136 coliform bacteria known to species, 39 isolates (28.6%) were Escherichia spp., 32 isolates (23.5%) were Klebsiella ssp., 30 isolates (22.1%) were Enterobacter spp., 19 isolates (14.0%) were Serratia spp., 6 isolates (4.4%) were Citrobacter spp., 4 isolates (3.0%) were Kluyvera spp. and 7 isolates (5.1%) were other bacterial species. Strains, which were gas-positive in lactose broth but gas-negative in Kligler Iron Agar were Ent. intermedium, Ser. liquefaciens, Ser. marcescenes and Salmonella arizoae. Strains, which were H2S production were also Kleb. pneumoniae, Kleb. oxytoca, Kleb. ornithinolytica, Ent. sahazahii, Ent. cloacae, Ser. liquefaciens, Ser. fica ria, Cit. freundii and Sal. arizoae. In the present study, most of coliform isolated from spring and ground water were E. coli, Klebsiella spp. and Enterobacter spp. Since coliform with pink colony in EMB agar was isolated as frequent as coliform with greenish metallic sheen colony, coliform with pink colony should be considered as important colony. Our results suggested that new coliform strains may be emerging on the basis of biochemical and microbiological testes.

세균오염지표인 대장균군의 균종별 분포를 조사함으로써 세균학적 의미를 조사하고자 본 실험을 실시하였다. 1997년 6-7월에 서울시 보건환경 연구원에 의뢰된 옹달샘 시료와 지하수 시료를 실험에 사용하였고, 옹달샘 유래 대장균군 112주와 지하수 유래 대장균군 24주를 IMViC test와 API 20E kit(BioMeriux)를 사용하여 균 분리 동정한 후 합계 136균주를 대상으로 실험하였다. 대장균군을 분리 동정한 결과 23균종이 분리되었으며, 균종별로는 Esherichia 속균 39주(28.6%), Klebsiella 속균 32주(23.5%), Enterobacter 속균 30주(22.1%), Serratia 속균 19주(14.0%), Citrobacter 속균 6주(4.4%), Kluyvera 속균 4주*3.0%) 그리고 기타 6주 (4.4%)로 나타났다. 분리 균주들의 EMB agar상의 집락 색상은 녹색 금속 광택 50.7%, 분홍색 44.2%, 자주색 5.1%로 나타났고, 형태는 smooth colony 64.7%, mucoid colony 34.6%, rough colony 0.7%로 각각 나타났다. 생화학적 시험결과 lactose broth 에서는 가스를 생성하였으나 KIA에서는 gas를 생성치 않은 균종이 Ent. intermedium, Ser. liquefaciencs, Ser. marcescenes 그리고 Sal. arizoae이었고, H2S를 생성한 대장균군으로는 Kleb. pneumoniae, Kleb. oxytoca, Kleb. ornithinolytica, Ent. sakasakii, Ent. cloacae, Ser. Liquefaciens, Ser. ficaria, Cit. freundii 그리고 Sal. arizoae이었다. 이상의 결과 대장균군 정성시험 양성을 나타내는 대장균군은 대부분이 E. coli, Klebsilla 속균 그리고 Enterobacter 속균이었다. 또한 향후 대장균군 정성시험 시 EMB agar 상에서 녹색 금석성 광택 집락 외에도 분홍색 집락이 주의시되어지며, rough colony는 대장균군 분리에서 제외되는 것이 좋을 것으로 사료된다. 한편, 생화학적 성상 검토 결과 새로운 형태의 대장균군 출현 가능성이 있을 것으로 전망된다.