A comprehensive understanding of the microflora of water

Pseudomonas fluorescens, Micrococcus roseus, etc., are among the specific aquatic aerobic microorganisms.

- Tapan Kumar Maitra

Anaerobic bacteria are very rarely found in water.

The microflora of rivers depends on the degree of pollution and the quality of purification of sewage waters flowing into river beds.

Micro-organisms are widespread in the waters of the seas and oceans and have been found at different depths (3700-9000 m).

The degree of contamination of the water with organisms is expressed as saprobity, which designates the total of all living matter in water containing accumulations of animal and plant remains. Water is subdivided into three zones.

The polysaprobic zone is strongly polluted water, poor in oxygen, and rich in organic compounds. The number of bacteria in one ml reaches 1000000 and more. Colibacilli and anaerobic bacteria predominate, which bring about the processes of putrefaction and fermentation. In the mesosaprobic zone (zone of moderate pollution), the mineralisation of organic substances with intense oxidation and marked nitrification takes place. The number of bacteria in one ml of water amounts to hundreds of thousands, and there is a marked decrease in the number of colibacilli.