Activity assessment of microorganisms eluted from sediments using 5-cyano-2,3-ditolyl tetrazolium chloride: a quantitative comparison of flow cytometry to epifluorescent microscopy.

Enhanced natural recovery may be successfully implemented at contaminated sediment sites, which are often characterized by large volumes of sediments with low to moderate levels of contamination to cost-effectively reduce human and ecological risks. In order to evaluate the potential for microbial contribution to remediation strategies, physiological assessment of indigenous microorganisms is essential. We report here a method for rapid and accurate assessment of metabolically (5-cyano-2,3-ditolyl tetrazolium chloride [CTC]) active microorganisms eluted from sediment, based on flow cytometry (FCM).