Detection of Coliforms in Drinking Water Using Skin Patches: A Rapid, Reliable Method that Does Not Require an External Energy Source

Sehee Nam Water Analysis and Research Center, K-water, Daejeon, Republic of Korea; Korean Minjok Leadership Academy, Hoengseong, Gangwon, Republic of Korea

Search for other papers by Sehee Nam in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Min-jeong Kim Water Analysis and Research Center, K-water, Daejeon, Republic of Korea; Korean Minjok Leadership Academy, Hoengseong, Gangwon, Republic of Korea

Search for other papers by Min-jeong Kim in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
MinSun Park Water Analysis and Research Center, K-water, Daejeon, Republic of Korea; Korean Minjok Leadership Academy, Hoengseong, Gangwon, Republic of Korea

Search for other papers by MinSun Park in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Nuri Kim Water Analysis and Research Center, K-water, Daejeon, Republic of Korea; Korean Minjok Leadership Academy, Hoengseong, Gangwon, Republic of Korea

Search for other papers by Nuri Kim in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Yu-jin Lee Water Analysis and Research Center, K-water, Daejeon, Republic of Korea; Korean Minjok Leadership Academy, Hoengseong, Gangwon, Republic of Korea

Search for other papers by Yu-jin Lee in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
, and
Gyu-Cheol Lee Water Analysis and Research Center, K-water, Daejeon, Republic of Korea; Korean Minjok Leadership Academy, Hoengseong, Gangwon, Republic of Korea

Search for other papers by Gyu-Cheol Lee in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
Restricted access

The detection of coliforms requires incubation in a laboratory, generally powered using electricity. In many parts of the developing world, however, external energy sources such as electricity are not readily available. To develop a fast, reliable method for detecting coliforms in water without an external energy source, we assessed the efficacy of six test kits for the identification of coliforms in water samples. To assess the possibility of using body temperature as the sole source of heat for incubation, bacterial samples were then mixed with the enzymatic test kit reagent and attached to the human body surface using a patch system. The patches were attached to the bodies of volunteers for 24 hours and the practicality and accuracy of the patches were assessed. Coliforms were detected within 24 hours in all patches. This innovation will facilitate the testing of water quality by researchers and by economically disadvantaged people without electricity.

Author Notes

* Address correspondence to Gyu-Cheol Lee, Part of Microbiology Research, Water Analysis and Research Center, K-water, 560 Sintanjin-ro, Daedeok-gu, Daejeon 306-711, Republic of Korea. E-mail: gclee@kwater.or.kr

Financial support: This research was supported by K-water, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.

Authors' addresses: Sehee Nam, Min-jeong Kim, Yu-jin Lee, and Gyu-Cheol Lee, Department of Microbiology Research, K-water, Daejeon, Republic of Korea, E-mails: nidula@kwater.or.kr, herbej@kwater.or.kr, dohwoa@kwater.or.kr, and gclee@kwater.or.kr. MinSun Park and Nuri Kim, Korean Minjok Leadership Academy, Anheung-myeon, Hoengseong-gun, Gangwon, Republic of Korea, E-mails: alstjstlsdud@naver.com and nurihappy@gmail.com.

  • 1.

    World Health Organization, 2013. Fact sheet No. 330, April 2013. Available at: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs330/en/. Accessed May 7, 2013.

  • 2.

    World Health Organization, 2013. Water Quality and Health Strategy 2013–2020. Available at: http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/publications/2013/water_quality_strategy/en/index.html. Accessed May 7, 2013.

    • PubMed
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 3.

    Cohn PD, Cox M, Berger PS, 2010. Health and aesthetic aspects of drinking water. American Water Works Association, Edzwald JK, eds. Water Quality & Treatment: A Handbook on Drinking Water (Water Resources and Environmental Engineering Series), Sixth edition. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2.1–2.84.

    • PubMed
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 4.

    Payment P, Waite M, Dufour A, 2003. Introducing parameters for the assessment of drinking water quality. Dufour A, Snozzi M, Koster W, Bartram J, Ronchi E, Fewtrell L, eds. Assessing Microbial Safety of Drinking Water: Improving Approaches and Methods. London, UK: IWA Publishing, 47–77.

    • PubMed
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 5.

    Savichtcheva O, Okabe S, 2006. Alternative indicators of fecal pollution: relations with pathogens and conventional indicators, current methodologies for direct pathogen monitoring and future application perspectives. Water Res 40: 2463–2476.

    • PubMed
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 6.

    Lee SG, Jheong WH, Suh CI, Kim SH, Lee JB, Jeong YS, Ko G, Jang KL, Lee GC, Paik SY, 2011. Nationwide groundwater surveillance of noroviruses in South Korea, 2008. Appl Environ Microbiol 77: 1466–1474.

    • PubMed
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 7.

    United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2013. Basic Information about Pathogens and Indicators in Drinking Water. Available at: http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/basicinformation/pathogens.cfm. Accessed January 16, 2013.

    • PubMed
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 8.

    World Health Organization, 2006. Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality [electronic resource]: incorporating first addendum. Volume 1: recommendations. Third edition. Available at: http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/gdwq0506.pdf. Accessed January 16, 2013.

    • PubMed
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 9.

    George I, Petit M, Servais P, 2000. Use of enzymatic methods for rapid enumeration of coliforms in freshwaters. J Appl Microbiol 88: 404–413.

  • 10.

    Rompré A, Servais P, Baudart J, de-Roubin M, Laurent P, 2002. Detection and enumeration of coliforms in drinking water: current methods and emerging approaches. J Microbiol Methods 49: 31–54.

    • PubMed
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 11.

    Tryland I, Fiksdal L, 1998. Enzyme characteristics of beta-D-galactosidase- and beta-D-glucuronidase-positive bacteria and their interference in rapid methods for detection of waterborne coliforms and Escherichia coli. Appl Environ Microbiol 64: 1018–1023.

    • PubMed
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 12.

    Schumacher EF, 1973. Small Is Beautiful: Economics as if People Really Mattered. London, UK: Abacus, 64.

  • 13.

    Murphy HM, McBean EA, Farahbakhsh K, 2009. Appropriate technology—a comprehensive approach for water and sanitation in the developing world. Technol Soc 31: 158–167.

    • PubMed
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 14.

    Appropedia, 2013. Appropriate Technology. Available at: http://www.appropedia.org/Appropriate_technology. Accessed May 7, 2013.

  • 15.

    Kovats S, 2013. The future of open systems solutions, now. Available at: http://www.unesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/HQ/CI/CI/pdf/wsis/WSIS_10_Event/The_Future_of_Open_Systems_Solutions_Now.pdf. Accessed May 7, 2013.

    • PubMed
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 16.

    Andrews JR, Prajapati KG, Eypper E, Shrestha P, Shakya M, Pathak KR, Joshi N, Tiwari P, Risal M, Koirala S, Karkey A, Dongol S, Wen S, Smith AB, Maru D, Basnyat B, Baker S, Farrar J, Ryan ET, Hohmann E, Arjyal A, 2013. Evaluation of an electricity-free, culture-based approach for detecting typhoidal Salmonella bacteremia during enteric fever in a high burden, resource-limited setting. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 7: e2292.

    • PubMed
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
  • 17.

    Dominguez M, Smith A, Luna G, Brady MF, Austin-Breneman J, Lopez S, Yataco R, Moore DA, 2010. The MIT D-lab electricity-free PortaTherm incubator for remote testing with the QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube assay. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis 14: 1468–1474.

    • PubMed
    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation
Past two years Past Year Past 30 Days
Abstract Views 449 367 13
Full Text Views 307 11 0
PDF Downloads 72 6 0
 
 
 
 
Affiliate Membership Banner
 
 
Research for Health Information Banner
 
 
CLOCKSS
 
 
 
Society Publishers Coalition Banner
Save