The microbiological quality of environmental water that can be used for bathing in the European Union is regulated by the Bathing Water Directive (BWD) 2006/7/EC based on parametric values established for intestinal enterococci and Escherichia coli (E. coli). Detection and enumeration of E. coli under the BWD relies on the culture-based reference methods, which would require 1-2 days to obtain results, a considerable long time for decision making by public authorities when contamination of bathing water occurs. BWD allows the use of alternative methods if the reliability of a selected method is at least equal to that of the standard method. The development of alternative methods requires evaluation in multiple laboratory trials according to ISO 16140-2:2016 which provides a standardised protocol for the validation of such methods against reference methods in foodstuffs and environmental samples. The present report describes the EU-wide trial exercise aimed at validating a molecular based method, the real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the detection of E. coli in bathing water. Compared to the culture-based methods, molecular techniques allow to reduce the time to results to a few hours. In particular, real-time PCR has the advantage of specifically and rapidly detect and quantify bacterial target genes.

GOMEZ CORTES Livia;  SANSEVERINO Isabella;  PORCEL RODRIGUEZ Elena;  BOBKOVA Sarka;  BRIANCESCO Rossella;  CÍCHOVÁ Marianna;  DE VRIES Hendrik Jan;  ELSINGA Goffe;  JOZIĆ Slaven;  KOHLS Katharina;  POJE Mateja;  PORTER Jonathan;  RETELJ Matjaz;  ROZWADOWSKA Beata;  STROOBACH Eline;  VALÉRIO Elisabete;  VUKIĆ LUŠIĆ Darija;  WŁOS Ewa;  LETTIERI Teresa; 

2024-05-30

Publications Office of the European Union

JRC138104

978-92-68-17908-6 (online),   

1831-9424 (online),   

EUR 31969 EN,    OP KJ-NA-31-969-EN-N (online),   

https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC138104,   

10.2760/42220 (online),