Table 5. Results from second indoor study.

Table 5. Results from second indoor study.

Fecal

Sample

Fraction

Total count

streptococci

date

time

no.

relatively clear, some

relatively clear, faint

relatively clear, faint

relatively clear, faint odor

relatively clear, faint odor

large sediment pieces

some large sediment, no

sediment, musty scent

a few medium sediment

medium and fine sediment,

Fine, medium, and large

4

water

sediment, foul musty odor

*Colony Forming Unit

†The final sample was not collected until 8/14 as a large chunk of ice remained, and it took two days

to melt.

crease dramatically as they did in the two previous stud-

tremely lethal to microorganisms, do not penetrate the

ies. There was little or no increase in the total number

earth's atmosphere (Brock 1970). Again, we see an al-

of bacteria when the sum of the bacteria in each of the

most identical survival rate of gram-positive and gram-

meltwater fractions is compared with the total number

negative bacteria in the meltwater, as 44% (12 of 27)

of bacteria in the snow column (Table 4). One reason

of the bacteria were gram positive (Table 6).

there was no increase in bacterial numbers may be be-

cause of the relatively short time period for this experi-

DISCUSSION

ment, three days vs. many weeks for the other studies.

However, the total counts did not show a significant

decrease, either. Thus it appears that sunlight did not

With respect to the snowmaking process, our find-

have a strong negative impact on bacterial numbers.

ings agree well with the unpublished findings of the

This finding is supported by literature reports that claim

Ontario Ministry of Environment (1982, as given by

that the ultraviolet short wavelengths, which are ex-

Zapf-Gilje 1985) in that the losses of total and fecal

9