Definition: Indicator microorganism
An indicator microorganism is a microorganism whose presence or concentration is used to infer contamination, treatment effectiveness or deterioration of a water system.
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Indicator microorganism
An indicator microorganism is a microorganism whose presence or concentration is used to infer contamination, treatment effectiveness or deterioration of a water system.
Microbiology and indicators
Definition
An indicator microorganism is a microorganism whose presence or concentration is used to infer contamination, treatment effectiveness or deterioration of a water system.
Why it matters
Useful for selecting the right method, product family, sampling point, report or traceability workflow in water quality programs.
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- Related sector: Todos los sectores
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Related terms
- Adenovirus Adenovirus is an enteric virus that can persist under certain environmental conditions and is used in some contexts as a reference for evaluating viral persistence in water.
- Viable bacteria Viable bacteria are microorganisms capable of remaining alive and, depending on conditions, growing or forming colonies detectable by culture methods.
- Bacteriophage A bacteriophage is a virus that infects specific bacteria and replicates within them. In water quality, bacteriophages are used as viral models or indicators to study fecal contamination, treatment behaviour and microbiological barrier performance.
- Biofilm A biofilm is a microbial community attached to a surface and protected by an extracellular matrix. In water networks it can act as a reservoir of microorganisms and contribute to recontamination.
- Microbial load Microbial load is the level of microorganisms present in a sample or system. It can be expressed in different units depending on the method and organism evaluated.
- Host strain A host strain is the bacterium used as the host to detect or enumerate bacteriophages in culture methods. Its selection is critical for assay sensitivity and result interpretation.
- Total coliforms Total coliforms are a broad group of indicator bacteria that may occur in soil, water or fecal environments. They are used to assess system integrity, treatment effectiveness and possible operational issues.
- F-RNA coliphages F-RNA coliphages are a subgroup of F-specific coliphages with an RNA genome. They can be used in fecal contamination and viral behaviour studies depending on method, matrix and program objective.
FAQ
Why it matters: Indicator microorganism
Useful for selecting the right method, product family, sampling point, report or traceability workflow in water quality programs.