• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • My account
  • Checkout
  • Cart
  • Courses
  • Consulting Sessions
Dr Jackson Kung'u- Mold Specialist

Dr Jackson Kung'u- Mold Specialist

Helping People Resolve Mold Problems

Contact Us

Dr. Jackson Kung’u (PhD)- Mold Specialist.
Phone: 905-290-9101

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Courses
  • Consulting Sessions
Home | Laboratory

Laboratory

Coliform Testing As An Andicator Of Sewage Contamination

Coliform testing is routinely used as an indicator of sewage contamination. Sewage contamination is a concern because it may contain potentially infectious organisms such as such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella, and Shigella. Exposure to sewage contamination increases the risk of gastrointestinal infections and other related illnesses. Sources of sewage contamination may include raw sewage overflows, severe flooding and leaking sewer lines or septic tanks.

To determine the potential health risks from sewage contamination swab samples could be collected and tested for sewage contamination indicators. Indicator organisms include Total Coliform, Fecal Coliform and Enterococcus.

Coliform

Total Coliform

Surface Sampling Method for Total Coliform, Fecal Coliform and Enterococcus.

Sampling Procedure

  1. Measure the area of the surface to be sampled (both in the suspected area and a control in an area where low or no contamination is expected) with a tape measure and record the area in square centimetres (a 100 cm2 is recommended);
  2. Collect swab samples by removing a sterile, rayon (non-cotton) swab from a sterile tube, moisten it by inserting it into a second tube which contains a sponge soaked with sterile 1.5 mL of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) at pH 7.2;
  3. Swab the selected surface by moving the swab back and forth across the surface with several horizontal strokes, then several vertical strokes. Rotate the swab during sampling to ensure that the entire surface of the swab was used.
  4. After sampling, return the swab to the sterile tube (with the sponge);
  5. Before collecting another sample, label the sample appropriately;
  6. On the chain of custody clearly indicate what indicator organisms you want tested, i.e., total coliforms, fecal coliforms, E. Coli and/or Enterococcus. Submit the samples to Mold & Bacteria Laboratories for testing.

Results Interpretation

Total Coliform

Coliform are found in the intestines of warm-blooded animals including human beings and hence they end up in sewage. However, they are also present in the environment as part of the natural microflora. These naturally occurring coliforms can potentially cause false positive results when testing environmental samples. For environmental samples, positive tests for total coliforms must be interpreted with caution and always be confirmed by more specific testing.

Fecal Coliform

Fecal coliform include bacteria such as E. coli, Klebsiella, Enterobacter, and Citrobacter. The fecal coliforms test is more specific than the total coliform test in indicating potential sewage contamination. However, this test is also subject to giving false negatives since these bacteria with the exception of E. coli could also be associated with plants. Therefore, as with the total coliform test, the results of the fecal coliform assay must be interpreted with caution, and positive results should be confirmed.

Escherichia coli (E. coli)

Presence of E. coli has been demonstrated to be a very specific indication of fecal or sewage contamination. E. coli has also been isolated from soil suggesting that it may not be 100% reliable indicator of fecal or sewage contamination.

Enterococcus

Alternative indicator organisms are the enterococci. The enterococci, belong to the genus Enterococcus. They are less ubiquitous than the coliform in the environment and are always present in the feces of warm-blooded animals. Although research has indicated that enterococci might be a more stable indicator of sewage contamination than E. coli and fecal coliform, some species of Enterococcus are also associated with Plants.

Conclusion.

No single indicator organism on it’s own is 100% reliable to demonstrated sewage or fecal contamination. Some experts therefore recommend use of 3 or more indicators, i.e., total coliforms, fecal coliforms, E. coli and/or enterococci.

For additional information or if you have any questions please contact us by phone at 905-290-9101.

Filed Under: Bacteria, Citrobacter, Coliforms, Enterobacter, Enterococcus, Escherichia, Laboratory, Salmonella, Shigella Tagged With: coliform, e. coli, Enterococcus, Escherichia coli, fecal coliforms, Salmonella, sewage contamination, Shigella, total coliforms

Mold Testing Laboratory In Toronto

Mold & Bacteria Consulting Laboratories (MBL) is a leading mold testing laboratory in Toronto Area (GTA) and the rest of Canada.

As a mold and bacteria laboratory, the lab specializes in the analysis of air and surface samples for:

  • Bacteria including Coliforms, E.coli, Legionella testing, and total aerobic and anaerobic counts
  • Mold analysis by culture methods: culturable air samples such as RCS, BioCassette, Andersen, SAS, etc.
  • Mold analysis by direct microscopic examination: tape, bulk, swab, and water samples
  • Total airborne fungal spore counts: Spore traps including Air-O-Cell, BioAire, and Micro5 cassettes, Allergenco, Burkard and BioSIS slides

MBL’s mold and bacteria testing services are not restricted to the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). We serve clients in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Foundland.

MBL clients include:

  • Industrial hygienists
  • Environmental consultants
  • Quality assurance managers
  • Home Inspectors
  • General contractors
  • Cleaning and restoration contractors
  • Property managers
  • Insurance, financial, or legal professionals who deal with microbial contamination issues

For questions related to laboratory testing of samples, sampling methods, laboratory  data interpretation and other issues related to microorganisms, please call 905-290-9101 (within Toronto area) or 1-866-813-0648 if calling outside the GTA.

Filed Under: Laboratory Tagged With: bacteria, laboratories, mold, testing lab, testing laboratories

MBL is Proficient For Bacteria Testing

The Canadian Association for Laboratory Accreditation Inc.(CALA) has rated MBL proficient for the following bacteria testing:

Test Parameter Method Of Analysis Status
Escherichia coli (E. coli) Membrane Filtration (DC-Agar) Proficient
Fecal (Thermotolerant) Coliforms Membrane Filtration (mFC) Proficient.
Heterotrophic Plate Count (HPC) Membrane Filtration (PCA) Proficient
Total Coliforms Membrane Filtration (DC-Agar) Proficient.
Escherichia coli (E. coli) Presence/Absence Proficient
Total Coliforms Presence/Absence Proficient.

Coliform Bacteria

The coliform bacteria are used as indicators of potential health risk for water. Coliforms are divided into 2 groups; total coliforms, i.e., all the coliform bacteria; and the fecal coliforms. The fecal coliforms are dominated by Escherichia coli (E. coli). E. coli are common in human intestines and they are generally harmless. However, some strains such as 0157 can cause serious infections.

Presence of fecal coliforms in water is widely accepted as indicator of potential contamination of water with fecal material. Contamination of water with fecal material presents greater risk of infectious microorganism such as viruses, other bacteria, protozoa and even worms.

Filed Under: Laboratory Tagged With: bacteria, CALA, e. coli, Escherichia coli, fecal coliforms, proficiency, total coliforms, water

MBL is using ASTM D7391 – 09 Standard Test Method to Analyse Non-viable Air Samples

Mold & Bacteria Consulting Laboratories (MBL) inc., is now using the new ASTM method D7391-09 for analysis of non-viable air samples. Until recently, there has been no standard method by which to analyze non-viable air samples collected by inertial impaction samplers such as Air-O-Cell, Allergenco-D, micro 5 and other similar samplers.

The American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) International published the new standard method, D7391-09 entitled “Standard Test Method for Categorization and Quantification of Airborne Fungal Structures in an Inertial Impaction Sample by Optical Microscopy”.

The method outlines two procedures for enumerating fungal structures: one for slit impaction samples such as air-o-cell and allergenco-D and the other for circular impaction samples such as micro 5. Analytical results are presented in fungal structures/sample (fs/sample) and fungal structures/m3 (fs/m3)

For details regarding the standard, please visit the ASTM website. For analysis of your samples using the standard method please contact us by Phone:

Toronto: 416-628-0238
Mississauga: 905-290-9101
Calgary: 403-775-7536
Vancouver: 604-484-9114
Winnipeg: 204-272-3752

Toll Free: 1-866-813-0648

Or you can contact us by:
Fax: 905-290-0499

Filed Under: Laboratory Tagged With: air sampling, astm, enumeration, fungal structures, standard method

An Alternative Calculation Procedure for Airborne Particulates

The current ASTM Standard Test Method for Categorization and Quantification of Airborne Fungal Structures in an Inertial Impaction Sample by Optical Microscopy (D 7391-09) has outlined the procedures for calculating airborne fungal structures (FS).

For slit impactors such as Air-O-Cell and Allergencos the calculation for fungal structures (or particulates) is based on traverses analyzed. For details click An Alternative Calculation Procedure for Airborne Particulates.

Filed Under: Laboratory Tagged With: astm, calculations, standard method

  • Go to page 1
  • Go to page 2
  • Go to page 3
  • Go to page 4
  • Go to Next Page »

sidebar

Blog Sidebar

Is Mold Making You Sick?

Is mold in your house making you sick?

Is mold in your house making you sick? This kind of a question would arise if someone suffers from persistent symptoms such as sneezing, runny noses, red eyes and skin rashes that seem to lessen or disappear when the person is not at home. The situation maybe complicated by the fact that only one member[Read More]

Footer

Important Links

  1. Refund Policy.
  2. Privacy Policy.
  3. Terms & Conditions.
  4. Frequently Asked Questions.

Online Courses at Glance

  1. Fungal Spore Identification Course.
  2. Mold Inspection, Identification and Control.
  3. How To Interpret Mold Test Results.
  4. How To Take Mold Samples.
  5. Mold Inspection Business Course.
  6. Online Legionella Training Course.

Testing Services and Products

  1. Cannabis Testing
  2. Mold Testing
  3. Bacteria Testing
  4. Legionella Testing
  5. Sampling Supplies

Our Location

Mold & Bacteria Consulting Laboratories
1020 Brevik Pl., Unit 1A
Mississauga, Ontario, L4W 4N7
905-290-9101