microLAN b.v. BACTcontrol – User Manual – V0.4.4 Page 11 of 59
3. INTRODUCTION OF THE BACTCONTROL
The determination of the presence of microorganisms is a key parameter in order to
determine whether a water body is safe, yet the standard determination methods that
are used are based on the cultivation of these microorganisms. These methods are
characterized of being time consuming (24-48) and are not suitable for a fast water
quality assessment (REF. 3). Due to these time consuming procedures, there is an
considerable chance that populations get exposed to microbiological hazards, before
the results of the tests are known (REF. 1). Microbiological contamination is a
constant concern in a wide range of fields. For example water treatment, food
industries and pharmaceutical companies are fields where fast detection of dangerous
microorganisms that might cause diseases is extremely important. Diseases that are
present in water bodies can be prevented by monitoring (REF. 1). Enzymatic activity
determination is one detection process that is suitable for rapid measurements of
dangerous microorganisms (REF. 3). Unfortunately there is still a significant lack of
automated on-line systems for the detection of microbial parameters, which speed up
the detection process of dangerous microorganisms (REF. 3).
The BACTcontrol is an on-line automated instrument for the detection of
microbiological activity in water. It measures the specific enzymatic activities of β-
galactosidase (coliforms), β-glucoronidase (E.coli), ß-glucosidase (Enterococci) and
alkaline phosphatase (Total Activity, biomass), as an indicator for the presence of
bacterial contamination. The enzyme activity is detected by adding reagents
(consumables) which contain a fluorescent indicator. The reagents are substrate
specific for the enzyme to be detected, meaning that fluorescence will increase when
the corresponding enzyme is present in the sample.
Figure 4 BACTcontrol
The BACTcontrol is an “Early warning system”, complementing the officially accepted
methods for the detection of microbiological activity. The measurements are realized
in a short period of time (1-2 hours), in contrast to classical microbiological methods,
which are labour intensive and in which cultivation of the organisms is required, taking
several hours before getting reliable results (24-48).
In Appendix B a more detailed explanation about enzymes and the working of the
BACTcontrol is given.
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