INFLUENCE OF MARINE COASTAL SEDIMENT TYPE ON PERSISTENCE OF WATERBORNE PATHOGEN BACTERIA

In present study, we assessed the effect of sediment characteristics (particle grain size and organic matter contents) on waterborne pathogen bacteria survival. The survival test was conducted in vitro in microcosms where the two pathogen species Escherichia coli (O55B5) and Vibrio parahaemolyticus (ATCC 17802) were separately incubated on lagoon sediments and brackish water brought from different coastal areas of Bizerte lagoon (Northern Tunisia).. The results obtained revealed (1) extended bacterial survival in sediments, (2) higher growth and lower decay rates of the two strains in sediments with high levels of organic matter and small grain size sediment, and (3) longer survival of Vibrio paraheamolyticus compared with Escherichia coli