Suivi en quasi-temps réel de la bactérie E. coli dans les eaux récréatives par l'application d'une nouvelle technologie basée sur l'activité enzymatique

In Quebec, as in most regions of the world, Escherichia coli, a bacterium of faecal origin, is monitored for the evaluation of water quality. Being absent in the natural environment, its presence is indicative of contamination. The traditional technique for determining its concentration in water is the standard plate count method expressed in CFU/100 ml (Colony Forming Unit). Despite its ability to give good results, the incubation step necessary for this technique requires between 18 and 24 hours, which can be severely limiting for the management of certain environments such as beaches. Indeed, rapid responses are needed to ensure effective decision-making to protect public health and safety. To overcome the limitations of the standard method, technologies such as the Coliminder® (VWM Solutions, Austria), based on the enzymatic activity of E. coli, have been developed. The Coliminder® is the central aspect of this research: an autonomous technology that detects the fluorescence of the β-glucuronidase enzyme, specific to E. coli, allowing its monitoring in near real-time monitoring (every 30 minutes).