Bacterial indicators to estimate the health hazards associated with the use of swimming pools

Abstract

A total of 200 swimming pools, including one wading pool, were monitored for specific bacteria to select the most appropriate water quality indicators for a proposed prospective epidemiological survey of swimming pools. The organisms included in the study were fecal coliforms, fecal streptococci, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter spp., and total plate counts of aerobic heterotrophic bacteria. The results indicated that fecal coliforms, fecal streptococci, and Acinetobacter spp. have limited use as water quality parameters because of their naturally low densities in pools. Total plate counts, P. aeruginosa, and S. aureus appeared to be the indicators of choice because they were either present in large numbers, were opportunistic pathogens, or had a varied susceptibility to chlorine. The study showed that P. aeruginosa has an added advantage as an indicator because it can be typed using serological and genotyping methods.