Abstract
AbstractThe levels of total coliform and Escherichia coli bacteria were determined within the surface soils of two upland catchments in North Yorkshire. The results indicated that enteric bacteria can survive for a sufficient period outside parent faecal material to provide a semi‐permanent land store that might then be capable of contaminating upland waters following transport by hydrological processes. Significant differences in bacterial counts were found between broadly wet and dry soil moisture/vegetation zones in both catchments. This was explained by the more favourable survival conditions found where the soil moisture content was high enough to prevent the rapid desiccation and death of enteric bacteria. Significant differences were also found between the counts of total coliform and Escherichia coli bacteria in surface soils. It was concluded that the use of the total coliform group alone, as an indicator of the degree of sanitary bacterial contamination of soils, may over‐estimate the true extent of contamination.
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