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Commercial labs: how accurate are they?
Author(s) -
Clancy Jennifer L.,
Gollnitz William D.,
Tabib Zhanet
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
journal ‐ american water works association
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.466
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1551-8833
pISSN - 0003-150X
DOI - 10.1002/j.1551-8833.1994.tb06198.x
Subject(s) - giardia , cryptosporidium , veterinary medicine , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , medicine , feces
In general, commercial laboratories show a lack of proficiency in testing for Giardia and Cryptosporidium. The authors conducted a blind survey of 16 commercial laboratories in order to evaluate their ability to test for Giardia and Cyptosporidium using the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) method. After filters were spiked with approximately 740 Giardia cysts and Cyptosporidium oocysts or 500 cells of the alga Oocystis, they were sent to the laboratories for analysis. For the laboratories that submitted reports, Giardia cyst recoveries ranged from 0.8 to 22.3 percent, averaging 9.1 percent; Cyptosporidium oocyst recoveries ranged from 1.3 to 5.5 percent, averaging 2.8 percent. Four of the laboratories falsely reported the Oocystis as positive, four laboratories failed to recover the Giardia cysts, and six laboratories failed to recover the Cryptosporidium oocysts. Not all laboratories strictly followed the ASTM method. The majority of laboratories need to make improvements in one or more of the following areas: response to clients, adequacy of sampling equipment and directions for use, analytical methods, and data accuracy.