Analytical detection of somatic coliphages in water samples as indicators of viral or faecal contamination

Identifier:  TFG:7939

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/TFG7939

Authors:  Porta Rafecas, Aida

Abstract:
This study investigates the detection of somatic coliphages in water as indicators of viral or faecal contamination, highlighting their role as reliable surrogates for microbial water quality assessment. Through a comprehensive review of existing methods, the double agar layer (DAL) technique was selected and validated for its sensitivity and specificity. Experiments carried out at the 'Laboratori Analític Valls' demonstrated the effectiveness of the DAL method and confirmed its suitability for regulatory compliance and water quality monitoring. The results highlight the importance of coliphages as robust indicators of water contamination, improving public health protection through improved detection of viral contaminants.