BACTERIOPHAGE PERSISTENCE IN THE SEA ENVIRONMENT

Somatic coliphages, F-specific phages and phages infecting Bacteroides fragilis were determined in: sea water at variable distances from the freshwater polluting foci, in mussels collected at sites with differe nt levels of faecal pollution of overlaying waters and in mussels purc hased in markets. The relative proportions of the different bacterioph ages are similar to those in polluting freshwater both in waters and m ussels collected in areas near the sites where polluted freshwater rea ches the sea. However, as we move further from the origin of pollution there is a very significant increase in the relative proportion of so matic coliphages and particularly of phages infecting B. fragilis.