This study was undertaken in order to assess the use of somatic coliphages as faecal pollution indicators in recreational seawater. In 140 samples from 5 beaches at the “Costa Verde” circuit, Lima, somatic coliphages were enumerated and correlated with conventional faecal pollution indicators (Faecal coliforms, E. coli and enterococci). After sample treatment with the “Sample Filtration” modified technique, somatic coliphages were assayed by the “Single-Agar-Layer” method using the strain E. coli C ATCC 13706 as the bacterial host. Faecal coliforms (FC) E. coli (EC) and enterococci (EN) were enumerated by the Most Probable Number method. In the statistical analysis, we took into account faecal pollution levels based on arbitrary values such as <1000 CF/100 mL (“Low pollution”) and 1000 FC/100 mL (“High pollution”). The beaches surveyed showed faecal pollution level...

This study was undertaken in order to assess the use of somatic coliphages as faecal pollution indicators in recreational seawater. In 140 samples from 5 beaches at the “Costa Verde” circuit, Lima, somatic coliphages were enumerated and correlated with conventional faecal pollution indicators (Faecal coliforms, E. coli and enterococci). After sample treatment with the “Sample Filtration” modified technique, somatic coliphages were assayed by the “Single-Agar-Layer” method using the strain E. coli C ATCC 13706 as the bacterial host. Faecal coliforms (FC) E. coli (EC) and enterococci (EN) were enumerated by the Most Probable Number method. In the statistical analysis, we took into account faecal pollution levels based on arbitrary values such as <1000 CF/100 mL (“Low pollution”) and 1000 FC/100 mL (“High pollution”). The beaches surveyed showed faecal pollution level...