Escherichia coli (E. coli) is used as an indicator of fecal pollution in water. Several tests are available for enumerating E. coli based on its ability to grow at elevated temperatures and indole production. The membrane filter procedure is recognized in Standard Methods as an alternate test procedure. m-TEC is an abbreviation for membrane thermotolerant E. coli.
In 1981, Dufour et al. developed a simple and accurate membrane filter technique for rapid enumeration of E. coli. In this study, the researchers were able to quantitate E. coli on m-TEC Agar within 24 hours without requiring subculture and identification of isolates. Dufour et al. recovered E. coli from marine, estuarine, and freshwater samples.
