Chlorine injury and the enumeration of waterborne coliform bacteria.

Injury induced in Escherichia coli cells by chlorination was studied from a physiological standpoint. Predictable and reproducible injury was found to occur rapidly in 0.5 mg of chlorine per liter and was reversible under nonselective conditions. There was an extended lag period in the growth of chlorinated cells not seen in control suspensions followed by the resumption of logarithmic growth at a rate equaling that of control cells. The aldolase activity of cells chlorinated in vivo was equivalent to that obtained for control cells. Oxygen uptake experiments showed that chlorinated cells underwent a decrease in respiration that was not immediatedly repaired in the presence of reducing agents. This effect was more pronouned in rich media containing reducing agents. Uptake of metabolities was inhibited by chlorine injury as shown with experiments using 14C-labeled glucose and algal protein hydrolysate.