Original scientific paper

Pseudomonas aeruginosa occurrences in the City of Rijeka bathing seawaters

Darija Vukić Lušić ; Sveučilište u Rijeci, Medicinski fakultet, Rijeka, Hrvatska *
Andrea Huskić ; Sveučilište u Rijeci, Medicinski fakultet, Rijeka, Hrvatska
Marta Alvir ; Sveučilište u Rijeci Tehnički fakultet, Rijeka, Hrvatska
Neven Sučić ; Sveučilište u Rijeci, Medicinski fakultet, Rijeka, Hrvatska
Dražen Lušić ; Sveučilište u Rijeci, Medicinski fakultet, Rijeka, Hrvatska
Lado Kranjčević ; Sveučilište u Rijeci Tehnički fakultet, Rijeka, Hrvatska
Marin Glad ; Nastavni zavod za javno zdravstvo Primorsko-goranske županije, Rijeka, Hrvatska
Arijana Cenov ; Nastavni zavod za javno zdravstvo Primorsko-goranske županije, Rijeka, Hrvatska

* Corresponding author.

Abstract

Faecal pollution indicators, Escherichia coli and intestinal enterococci, are routinely tested during monitoring of seawater quality for bathing, in accordance with the Regulation on seawater quality for bathing (OG 73/08). These tests can be extended to include additional microbiological indicators, such as P. aeruginosa, a bacterium that causes skin, eye and ear infections in cases of exposure to contaminated water. The purpose of this research has been a testing for Pseudomonas aeruginosa presence in bathing seawaters of urban beaches in the western part of the City of Rijeka under different environmental conditions. Data from a research conducted from 2012 to 2014 and in 2023 have been processed, and the HRN EN ISO 16266:2008 method used for testing P. aeruginosa in seawater samples. According to research results, the seawater quality for bathing in the City of Rijeka area is slightly to moderately loaded with P. aeruginosa, whose occurrences are significantly affected by precipitation and freshwater inflows. Monitoring of routine indicators does not fully exclude a possibility of contact and infection of bathers with P. aeruginosa bacteria.

Keywords

Pseudomonas aeruginosa; seawater quality for bathing; faecal pollution indicators; non-faecal microbiological indicators; freshwater inflows

Hrčak ID:

326923

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/326923

Publication date:

2.7.2024.

Article data in other languages: croatian german

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