A total of 136 coliform bacteria isolated from spring water (112 strains) and ground water (24 strains), submitted to Seoul Health and Environmental Research Institute from June to July in 1997, were characterized biochemically and microbiologically. Colonical characteristics of each isolate were also noted, including color and texture on EMB agar. Among the 136 isolates, 50.7% were greenish metallic sheen color, 44.2% were pink and 5.1% were violet. The sixty four percent were smooth, 34.6% were mucoid and 0.7%. were rough. Twenty three bacterial species were identified by IMViC and API 20E test. Among the 136 coliform bacteria known to species, 39 isolates (28.6%) were Escherichia spp., 32 isolates (23.5%) were Klebsiella ssp., 30 isolates (22.1%) were Enterobacter spp., 19 isolates (14.0%) were Serratia spp., 6 isolates (4.4%) were Citrobacter spp., 4 isolates (3.0%) were Kluyuera spp. and 7 isolates (5.1%) were other bacterial species. Strains, which were gas-positive in lactose broth but gas-negative in Kligler Iron Agar were Ent. intermedium, Ser. liquefaciens, Ser. marcescenes and Salmonella arizoae. Strains, which were H2S production were also Kleb. pneumoniae, Kleb. oxytoca, Kleb. ornithinolytica, Ent. sakazakii, Ent. cloacae, Ser. liquefaciens, Ser. ficaria, Cit. freundii and Sal. arizoae. In the present study, most of coliform isolated from spring and ground water were E. coli, Klebsiella spp. and Enterobacter spp. Since coliform with pink colony in EMB agar was isolated as frequent as coliform with greenish metallic sheen colony, coliform with pink colony should be considered as important colony. Our results suggested that new coliform strains may be emerging on the basis of biochemical and microbiological testes.

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