Simple enumeration of <i>Escherichia coli</i> concentrations in river water samples by measuring <i>β</i>-<scp>d</scp>-glucuronidase activities in a microplate reader

Abstract Monitoring of Escherichia coli concentrations in river water (RW) is essential to identify fecal pollution the river. The objective this study was assess suitability a novel, simple and high throughput method developed our laboratory enumerate E. RW samples. based on use synthetic substrate specific for β-d-glucuronidase (GUS) produced by coli. GUS activities were monitored at eight selected sites rivers running through Sapporo, Japan. Because fluorescence intensities samples increased linearly over 4-h incubation period, we could estimate highly correlated with &amp;gt;100 most probable numbers 100 mL−1 correlation coefficient 0.87. collected from all sampling fitted well single equation, which indicates that it applicable estimation regardless sites. This simple, rapid, reliable, inexpensive, throughput, therefore useful monitoring RW.