Cutting back on chocolate this Easter? Here’s one more reason why you should
Just one week ago, on March 22nd, we celebrated World Water Day, where organizations, companies, and individuals from around the globe drew attention to the importance of water and the significant challenges we’re facing in the 21st century. Water pollution and large-scale water shortages have already left 2.1 billion people without access to safe… Read More
What is a linearity check and why should you perform one on your luminometer?
Before our PhotonMaster luminometers head out the door they are all rigorously checked in our hardware lab; sensitivity and linearity tests confirm that all units meet the required specifications for background levels, low detection limits and linearity. The linearity check confirms that the curve (Light output vs ATP standard concentration) is linear from 0.01… Read More
Why you should clean your luminometer, and how to do it the right way.
One of the key components of any analytical method is the detector. In the case of ATP testing, that detector is a photomultiplier tube located inside our luminometer which is tasked with the important role of measuring the amount of light produced from the reaction between ATP and the Luminase enzyme. And while our… Read More
Most Wanted Microbes – Kouleothrix (a.k.a. Roseiflexus)
From the editor: This is the second post in an ongoing series profiling microorganisms of particular significance in water and wastewater systems. In this series we will cover microorganisms of many types including some that are beneficial, inhibitory and pathogenic. Kouleothrix is a filamentous organism found in wastewater treatment systems. They appear as thread-like… Read More
Lead in Drinking Water: Should I be concerned?
The water crisis of Flint, Michigan has brought the issue of lead in drinking water back into the public eye. While the overall health implications of the crisis are yet to be seen, recent research published in Lancet Public Health by Dr. Bruce P. Lanphear of Simon Fraser University has shed light on the… Read More
Paper and microbiological growth don’t mix: What you need to know about paper breaks
Water is an instrumental ingredient in the manufacture of paper products. When wood products are broken down into pulp, water is used to move the slurry onto the paper machine, which is something akin to a fast moving, very long conveyor belt. Being an organic product, both pulp and paper tend to facilitate the… Read More
Most Wanted Microbe – Escherichia coli
From the editor: This is the inaugural post in an ongoing series profiling microorganisms of particular significance in water and wastewater systems. In this series we will cover microorganisms of many types including some that are beneficial, inhibitory and pathogenic. Escherichia coli or E. coli is a species of bacteria commonly found in the… Read More
Using ATP in a Legionella Water Management Plan
Between December 2014 and September 2015 there were three clusters of Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks in the Bronx, New York City. Legionnaires’ disease, a severe form of pneumonia, is caused by inhaling aerosolized water containing certain pathogenic strains of Legionella bacteria. Legionella thrive in warm, stagnant water with low disinfection residuals such as hot water… Read More
Hydroelectric power: Challenges in the 21st Century
Hydroelectric power has been around for a long time. You might say that, along with windpower, it’s one of the original sources of clean energy. More than 2,000 years ago, the Greeks were using water wheels to grind grain into flour. Jumping forward all the way to the eighteenth century, French engineer, Bernard Forest… Read More
Water and the Olympics
At the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, hundreds of millions of people around the world watched as athletes competed in dozens of sports over two weeks. For some sports, water (usually in the form of snow or ice) is crucial. Where the Summer Olympics need pools and lakes filled with clean water for… Read More