Chemical and microbiological parameters as possible indicators for human enteric viruses in surface water.

There are still conflicting results on the suitability of chemical and microbiological parameters as indicators for the viral contamination of surface waters. In this study, conducted over 20 months, the abundance of human adenovirus, human polyomavirus, enterovirus, group A rotavirus and norovirus was determined in Ruhr and Rhine rivers, Germany. Additionally, prevalence of different possible indicators such as somatic coliphages, E.