Evaluation of Escherichia coli as marker of sewage in estuarine systems: case study in two tributaries of the Bertioga channel (Sao Paulo coast – Brazil). Bruno O. Sutti, Luciana Lopes Guimarães, João Marcos Miragaia Schmiegelow, Roberto Pereira Borges

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate seasonally and spatially the Escherichia coli in surface waters of two rivers with similar physical characteristics, but with different levels of anthropogenic interference. The results indicate the salinity as the most influential parameter on the variation of E. coli, demonstrating that this organism becomes imprecise to indicate sewage in the bottom estuary with high salinity.