Microbial community of 5 um filtered lake water

Water clarity is often the primary guiding factor in determining whether a prefiltration step is needed to increase volumes processed for a range of microbial endpoints. In this study, we evaluated the effect of water filter pore size on the bacterial communities. Water samples were collected from river, shoreline, and offshore water from Racine (Wisconsin), Chicago (Illinois), and East Chicago (Indiana) locations bordering southern Lake Michigan. Differences were found in bacterial communities composition of sample filtered through a 5.0 um filter, versus the remaining community when filtered through a 0.22 um pore filter.