BACTERIAL-FLORA IN NATURAL MINERAL WATERS - CHARACTERIZATION BY RIBOSOMAL RIBONUCLEIC-ACID GENE RESTRICTION PATTERNS

The bacterial flora of natural mineral waters was analysed using ribosomal ribonucleic acid gene restriction patterns in addition to customary identification techniques. Five springs were studied during 1989 and 1990 and six water samples from each source were examined. Among the 460 bacterial strains collected at the springs, 202 (43,9%) were identified at species level using the API system, and 208 representative strains from the 5 sampling points were randomly selected for ribosomal ribonucleic acid gene restriction analysis. One hundred and two distinct patterns were detected of which only 2 were common to several springs. The bacterial composition of each mineral water has a specific character shown by a series of patterns, not common to the other springs. For each spring, some of these characteristic patterns were repeatedly found throughout the sampling.