A quantitative and qualitative appraisal of microbial pollution of water by swimmers: a preliminary report

Abstract

Five healthy young women swam in untreated water of known bacterial quality under a variety of hygienic conditions. Evidence based on bacteriological examination of water samples leads to the following conclusions:1. There is a marked variation in the number and types of bacteria shed by a bather while swimming and the variations do not seem to be correlated to the differences in personal hygiene or the menstrual period.2. Faecal organisms may be discharged in considerable numbers by a swimmer after a thorough and careful shower with soap and warm water and yet not be discharged in appreciable numbers by a bather who does not take a shower before swimming.3. Faecal organisms constitute only a small minority of the total number of viable bacteria that are discharged in swimming pool water by a bather during the act of swimming and as such seem to have limited use as indicators of total bacterial pollution.4. Members of the genus Staphylococcus are shed in large numbers under all conditions and Staph. aureus is consistently present. Therefore, this genus appears to be a good choice as an index for the determination of body contamination.5. Further studies are indicated under more stringently controlled hygienic conditions to determine the value of hexachlorophene in reducing microbial flora that a given individual may shed during swimming.