#microbiological laboratory

RICO Biological Safety Cabinet Class II is an open-front, airy cabinet. This cabinet provides a HEPA / ULPA-filtered, reactivated mass airflow within the work area.

The experts at microbial testing services strongly recommend annual coliform bacteria testing for private water wells as they can be contaminated any time without changing the taste or odor of the water. Coliform bacteria potentially contaminate the water in various ways thus it is necessary to test the water at right time.

You need to remember the below cases to remain safe always.

• Carry out coliform bacteria test at least once a year for all private residential water wells.

• Conduct the test when a new well has been constructed.

• Do not forget to have coliform test after something has been done on the well.

• When you suspect or see any indication that contamination has taken place, such as if the well was covered with flood water, you should immediately opt for coliform testing.

What Is Coliform Bacteria?

There are two categories of coliform bacteria in general that are found in well water - total coliform and fecal coliform or Escherichia coli (E. coli).

The first one, Total coliforms, are found naturally in the environment and are located in the soil, in water, which are influenced by surface water, and in animal or human waste. The occurrence of total coliform, by itself, does not mean that the resource is infected; however, it can show that if not more of the more serious types of harmful bacteria, such as fecal or E. coli bacteria, could be there.

Fecal coliforms belong to the total coliforms group that are thought to be present especially in the gut and feces of warm-blooded animals and are considered a more precise indication of human or animal waste than the total coliforms.

E. coli is the key species in the fecal coliform group and is treated as the best indicator of fecal pollution and the possible existence of pathogens. You need to remember that most coliform bacteria do not cause disease.

Why Should We Do Coliform Testing?

In order to know the standard of your water i.e. whether safe for human use, you must carry out bacteria testing. It is impossible to tell by the look, taste, or smell of the water if disease-causing organisms are in it. That's why it is recommended that you test water for coliform bacteria at least once a year and more frequently if bacteria have been a problem earlier.

Concentrations of pathogens usually from fecal contamination are tiny, and the count of different possible pathogens is large. Thus this is not practical to test for pathogens in every water sample collected. Instead, the existence of pathogens is recognized with indirect evidence by testing for an “indicator” organism like coliform bacteria.

The test for total coliform bacteria is the most basic test for bacterial contamination of a water supply. Total coliform numbers provide a general indication of the sanitary condition of the water supply.

  Which Microbial Testing Lab Do We Prefer?

Even though the at-home test is easy, fast, and effective for determining if your well water has coliform and E.coli or not, you should go for a well-known Microbiological testing laboratory to get more precise solutions. The microbiologists at the laboratory are smart enough to conduct high-end tests to find the coliform bacteria using the modern equipment and latest technologies in the industry.

In case, you wish to do the test on your own, you can simply by using various test kits available in the market. The mechanism of test turns the media into blue-green if coliform bacteria are detected.

How Do We Collect Water Sample For Test?

You need to keep in mind some points while going for collecting a water sample and send it to the nearby microbial testing laboratory. Get started.

• Clean your hands with soap and warm water.

• Take the sample from a cold water tap. Use a tap without a screen or remove the screen before collecting the sample.

• Open the tap freely for a couple of minutes prior to collecting the sample.

• Hold the bottle near the tap base to collect the sample. Fill it at least 200 ml and never overfill the bottle.

• Tight the bottle and it is secure, but do not over-tighten it.

• Place the identification label from the requisition form on the bottle.

  The requisition form should contain the following things:

• Name and contact number

• Mailing address and postal code

• Details of Collection site e.g. kitchen sink

• Legal land description and/or civic address

• Time and date of sample collection

What Should We Do if Coliform Bacteria are Detected in our Water?

If E.coli or fecal coliform are identified in the water, the first step should be an emergency chlorination that usually lasts two to five days. During that period it is recommended that you should vigorously boil the drinking and cooking water for one-two minutes before using it.

Are you planning to conduct antimicrobial testing in your business facility or residential property? A reliable microbiological laboratory can help you to select the suitable test method for your project and will also help you in developing customized test protocols as per your exact needs.

At Biosan Laboratories, we understand the importance of choosing a trustworthy microbiological laboratory for conducting antimicrobial efficacy test. In this blog post, we share some tips to help you find one.

Tips to choose a trustworthy microbiological laboratory for antimicrobial efficacy testing

Even though you have had never needed the service of a microbiological laboratory until this time, you can select a reliable one by applying the following steps:

  Explore the laboratories in your city

Once you have decided to hire a microbiological laboratory for antimicrobial efficacy test, the next step would be to explore the existing laboratories in the city where your business or residential facility is located. It’s better to choose a local laboratory as they can come over to your location on short notice on a given date and time and can test the samples and send the results in minimum turnaround time.

Visit their website

Before considering any laboratory, visit their website and look at their ‘Home’ page, ‘About Us’ page, and the services they offer. This will give you a quick insight into their competence, credibility, and background. If possible, visit their ‘Contact’ page and give a call or drop a mail to ask more about how they conduct antimicrobial efficacy test for their clients.

Check out the antimicrobial test methods they specialize in

If possible, check out the antimicrobial test methods they specialize in. At Biosan Laboratories, our microbiologists specialize in AATCC, ASTM, ISO, and JIS standard antimicrobial test methods and conduct antimicrobial efficacy testing of industrial fluids, inks, paints, plastics, textiles, and construction materials.

Look at their years of lab experience

The next step is to find out the years of laboratory experience they have in conducting antimicrobial efficacy testing. The more experienced they are in conducting the testing, the more you can rely on them to conduct the tests effectively for you. Biosan Laboratories has more than four decades of lab experience in testing antimicrobials, biocides, and preservatives.

  Find out if they provide customized services as per the specific needs of the client

A reliable microbiological laboratory is well-equipped to customize its testing services as per the needs of its clients and their property compliance. They will always be willing to offer additional value to their services. Like, apart from conducting antimicrobial efficacy testing, they ship the sample bottles at no additional charge. We also offer consulting in antimicrobial testing protocol design for those clients that required customized testing.

Take a glance at their certifications and professional affiliations

A certificate is verifiable proof of excellence and it adds immense credibility to a company’s or a professional’s competence. A certifying authority accords the certificate only after determining whether the laboratory or professional is capable enough to conduct the tests as effectively as they claim to. Professional affiliations also enhance the reliability and reputation of a laboratory. Biosan Laboratory has numerous professional affiliations including the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists, the Association of Water Technologies, ASTM International, the National Association of Corrosion Engineers, and the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers.

In December 2020, some researchers in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention used previous calculations of medical costs and new estimates of productivity losses, and estimated that the annual economic burden of Legionnaires’ disease—a serious and sometimes fatal type of pneumonia—was above $800 million in the US alone. At Biosan Laboratories, a Michigan-based environmental microbiology laboratory, we understand how damaging an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease can be—especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic—and we specialize in independent Legionella laboratory testing.

The bacterium Legionnaires pneumophila mainly grows in moist places, including cooling towers, air conditioners, spas, dentistry tools, hot and cold water systems, and infects the lungs through inhalation of contaminated airborne droplets. Its symptoms are similar to the novel coronavirus infection and other types of pneumonia, which ranges from dry cough, chills, high fever, body ache and headache.

  Legionella is found to multiply in warm water above 20 °C and below 50 °C and is usually found in the water systems of many residential and commercial establishments where a robust Legionella management system is not in place. Cases of Legionellosis have been found in facilities with low levels of Legionella, which proves that the bacterium doesn’t have a known safe level.

Legionnaires disease does not spread person to person; people are infected only when they inhale the droplets containing the bacteria. Risk factors for exposure include:

• Overnight stay in a facility that is a breeding ground for the bacteria.

• Exposure to contaminated hot tubs or other plumbing equipment.

• Travel to a contaminated site.

Though most healthy people seldom get infected after an initial exposure, some people are at higher risk of developing serious complications such as:

• People above 50 years of age

• Smokers

• Individuals with compromised immune systems from diseases, such as cancer, chronic lung diseases, diabetes, liver or kidney failure as well as those who take immunosuppressant drugs

  Therefore it is crucial to conduct routine tests to determine whether or not your residential property or commercial facility is a host to the hazardous bacteria. In this blog post, we detail why you should get tested for Legionella on a regular basis.

If you are a business owner, or a landlord, you are mandated by state laws to meet certain health and safety prerequisites to minimize the risk of a Legionella outbreak. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has developed a toolkit to help property owners design water management program and identify the areas conducive for the growth and spread of Legionella as well as the measures to reduce that risk.

The financial and legal consequences of failing to abide by the regulations can be severe. Some law firms in Michigan have dedicated lawyers who investigate cases of legionellosis outbreaks at hotels and medical facilities. They file lawsuits against the entities proven to be the source of the outbreak, which results in penalizing owners with several thousands of dollars.

  When should you test for Legionella?

As there is no known safe level for the bacterium, a regular test is necessary to know if your property is a host to the hazardous bacteria. You should consider a Legionella laboratory test if:

• You reside or operate your commercial establishment in a high-risk zone, or there is a population with increased susceptibility. It is even more critical during a pandemic such as COVID-19.

• You identify a case or outbreak of legionellosis and suspect your water system or cooling tower to be a breeding ground for the bacterium.

• Your water system is being treated with biocides and the limits of a control regime are not being consistently achieved.

Modern human beings are witnessing many challenges in their everyday lives. Failure in overcoming them could end up in severe losses. While taking on microorganism related issues, environment plays a bigger role. Aqueous areas in industrial premises are the most suitable place for the birth and growth of fungus, plural fungi. This can be checked through a kind of fungi test kits available in the market.

Among the seven types of microorganisms found on the earth, fungus, plural fungi, is special for its catastrophic threats. It can be unicellular or multicellular; however, the vast majority of fungi belong to the latter one.

Industries must have various precious equipment and they should perform their role precisely. Any deviation leads to both economic as well as productivity loss. Such situation arises mostly when these things get contaminated by fungus like microorganisms. So the priority is to keep these stuffs away from getting damp. But reality is something different. They can come in contact with water easily if there is presence of the fluid in the surrounding.

    The saying “Prevention is better than cure” fits here. If special care is taken that means periodical checks whether there is any growth of fungus, then the threats of the fungus can be averted easily. In addition, one more thing should be kept in mind that checks are carried out only by the fungus test kits which are developed by a robust microbiological laboratory testing facility. The presence of experienced and talented microbiologist in a laboratory makes difference.

In order to lead a healthy life, humans always give much priority to keep the environment neat and clean. All kinds of mess start from the surrounding. As far as industrial environment is concerned, there is an urgency to check the each and every item that directly or indirectly comes in contact with water. The metalworking fluids and stored hydrocarbon fuels are vulnerable to the growth of fungus. Such issues also exist in other industrial process and cooling waters.

In Michigan state, all kinds of safety measures are taken in the industry premises not only to save only humans but to the surroundings so that there would be no threats to be risen from those places. Industrial safety cannot be compromised anyway in the most developed countries.

    The kits to check the presence of fungus are different from one company to other. The quality of one’s product cannot be matched with others. In order to well aware of its use, there must be an in-depth consultation with the microbiologists. An effective microbial testing can help treating contamination.