Sains Malaysiana 42(9)(2013): 1273–1281

Developing Correlation Equations for Converting Among Coliforms, E. coli

and HPC for Rainwater Disinfection by Sunlight

(Persamaan Korelasi untuk Menukar Koliform, E. coli dan HPC untuk Nyahinfeksi Air Hujan Menggunakan Cahaya Matahari)

M.T. Amin^{1 2} , M.Y. Han^3* Tschung-il Kim³, A.A. Alazba¹ & M.N. Amin⁴

¹Alamoudi Water Chair, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2660, Riyadh 11451

Saudi Arabia

²Department of Environmental Sciences, Comsats Institute of Information Technology,

Abbottabad, 22060, Pakistan

³Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering,

Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea

⁴Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering,

King Faisal University, P.O. Box 380, Al-Hutut, Al-Ahssa 31982 Saudi Arabia

Received: 13 June 2012 /Accepted: 19 February 2013

ABSTRACT

The application of solar disinfection for treating stored rainwater was investigated by the authors earlier by using indicator organisms. The multiple tube fermentation technique and pour plate method were used for the detection of microbial quality indicators like total and fecal coliforms, E. coli and heterotrophic plate count. These techniques have disadvantages mainly that these are laborious and time consuming. The correlation of total coliform with that of exposure time is proposed under different factors of weather, pH and turbidity. Statistical tools like root mean square error and coefficient of determination were used to validate these proposed equations. The correlation equations of fecal coliform, E. coli and heterotrophic plate count with total coliform are suggested by using four regression analysis including Reciprocal Quadratic, Polynomial Regression (2 degree), Gaussian Model and Linear Regression in order to reduce the tedious experimental work in similar types of experiments and treatment systems.

Keywords: Correlation; microbial parameters; rainwater; sunlight

ABSTRAK

Penggunaan nyahinfeksi solar untuk merawat air hujan tertakung telah dikaji oleh penyelidik kertas ini menggunakan organisma penunjuk. Teknik fermentasi berbilang tiub dan kaedah plat tuang telah digunakan untuk mengesan penunjuk kualiti mikrobial seperti jumlah dan koliform tinja, E. coli dan bilangan plat heterotrofik. Teknik-teknik ini mempunyai kekangan seperti mengambil masa yang lama dan kerja yang rumit. Korelasi koliform jumlah dengan masa dedahan dicadangkan di bawah faktor yang berlainan seperti cuaca, pH dan kekeruhan. Parameter statistik seperti ralat punca kuasa dua dan koefisien penentuan telah digunakan untuk menentusahkan persamaan yang dicadangkan. Persamaan korelasi koliform tinja, E. coli dan bilangan plat heterotrofik dengan koliform jumlah dicadangkan menggunakan empat analisis regresi termasuklah kuadratik resiprokal, regresi polinomial (darjah 2), model Gauss dan regresi linear bagi mengurangkan kerja uji kaji yang menjemukan pada masa hadapan bagi sistem rawatan dan uji kaji.

Kata kunci: Air hujan; cahaya matahari; korelasi; parameter microbial

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