Dynamics of Changes in Microbiological Composition of Stored Sediments

The composition of the sediments formed in the process of stormwater pretreatment is diversified and depends on many parameters, mainly on the quality of stormwater and the land use of the catchment. The stormwater sediments are characterized by heterogeneous chemical and microbiological composition. The aim of this paper was the microbiological evaluation of the sediments from four stormwater catchments in terms of hazard to humans and the environment. The pH, and the content of organic and mineral matter were determined for the examined sediments. The microbiological analysis included the determination of the total number of psychrophilic, mesophilic, and coliform bacteria, including E. coli, and also the number of faecal Enterococci, Salmonella and Shigella. The study was conducted for fresh deposits and those stored for one year in order to determine the dynamics of changes in their biological activity.