Comparison of Enterococcus Measurements in Western Broward County, FL by Membrane Filtration Culture Analysis and Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction
Defense Date
12-9-2015
Document Type
Capstone
Degree Name
M.S. Marine Environmental Sciences
First Advisor
Donald McCorquodale
Second Advisor
George Duncan
Abstract
Comparisons were made between culture and molecular analytical methodologies of Enterococcus bacteria from water samples collected in western Broward County, Florida. Samples were collected monthly at 9 sites from May through July 2015. Cultures were prepared by membrane filtration EPA Method 1600 on the day of collection. Aliquots ranging from 300 to 900 mL were filtered through a 0.45 um membrane filter and analyzed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Results of colony forming units (cfu) and genome copies of target DNA (gDNA) were compared by analysis of variance (ANOVA) and regression analysis. Using log transformed data, results from regression analysis show a positive correlation between methods (r = 0.49). ANOVA analysis was performed with log transformed cfu and gDNA values to test the null hypothesis that means for both methods were equal. A comparison between methods for all data points show that the overall results are statistically significant with a p value < 0.05 (p = 1.4 x 10-8). Monthly comparisons made between methods also show that results are statistically significant with a p value < 0.05 (May p = 0.02, June p = 1.1 x 10-4, July p = 0.02). Although both methodologies are used to determine the amount of enterococci present in a sample, this test rejects the null hypothesis that the values achieved by both methods are equal.
NSUWorks Citation
Patricia Holowecky. 2015. Comparison of Enterococcus Measurements in Western Broward County, FL by Membrane Filtration Culture Analysis and Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction. Capstone. Nova Southeastern University. Retrieved from NSUWorks, . (306)
https://nsuworks.nova.edu/cnso_stucap/306.