The Presence of E. Coli is Not a Reliable Indicator of Fecal Contamination
Recent research has found that the presence of E. coli in the environment is not a reliable indicator of fecal contamination. For decades, E. coli has been used as an indicator of fecal contamination in water and soil, but this new research suggests that it is an unreliable measure of potential health risks. The study found that other sources of contamination, such as plant material, can lead to the presence of E. coli in the environment, even if there is no fecal contamination present. This means that relying on the presence of E. coli to assess the risk of fecal contamination could lead to false positives and cause unnecessary concern. The researchers suggest that other methods should be used to accurately assess the risk of fecal contamination.
source: Phys.org