Previous Story
BECQ has acquired new equipment for water testing
|
Posted on May 08 2017
The Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality has acquired new equipment for its water quality-testing program.
Administrator Frank Rabauliman said the new equipment would give a more accurate result in the detection of bacteria in beach waters.
BECQ performs water quality surveillance in beach waters of the Commonwealth.
Since the establishment of the program in 2013, BECQ has been using only one type of apparatus—the Enterolert—to test beach water for the presence of fecal bacteria.
According to Rabauliman, Enterolert can only detect metabolically active bacteria and detects different kinds of bacteria.
BECQ’s new equipment is called Quantitative Polynumeric Chain Reaction or QPCR.
According to Rabauliman, BECQ has been testing the QPCR for over two years now. The equipment underwent rigorous testing from BECQ in conjunction with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
QPCR will be incorporated in the water quality notification program once all the tests are completed which is very soon, according to Rabauliman. What makes QPCR significant is the accuracy of its results.
In incorporating QPCR in the water quality notification program, BECQ will have a clearer picture of what they will be dealing with.
DNA analysis is what differs QPCR from the Enterolert. Through DNA analysis, QPCR will be able to detect fecal bacteria that are active or non-active.
The QPCR also specializes in detecting human fecal bacteria and treated human fecal bacteria.
The QPCR also generates results faster than the Enterolert.
It has been a problem for BECQ to quickly get water sample results back from water testing through the Enterolert because results are generated after a full 24 hours.
Rabauliman said QPCR is able to generate results within four hours.
He said the faster the results are generated, the quicker it is to notify the public of contaminated water.
