FATTY ACID METHYL ESTER (FAME) PROFILES OF TOTAL COLIFORMS AS A NEW TOOL FOR PREDICTING SOURCES OF FECAL CONTAMINATION

The main objective of the study was investigate the host-specific differences in whole cell fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) profiles of total coliforms isolated from human and non-human sources. The hypothesis was that presence of host-specific differences in the FAME profiles of total coliforms may allow effective and economical prediction of sources of fecal pollution in water environments. The FAME profiles of total coliforms isolated from sewage; feces of livestock including bovine (dairy cattle), poultry, and swine; and feces of wildlife, including waterfowl and deer, were studied. Multiple samples within each category were collected and 303 total coliform isolates were cultured. The FAME profiles of total coliforms showed both qualitative and quantitative host-specificity. A linear discriminant function based on such differences discriminated the total coliform isolates of human origin against those of the non-human origin with 92% accuracy.