 January – March 2010 Issue
IDEXX Water Testing Products: reliable, flexible and approved 
In this issue:
Helping protect our planet's water makes the world a better place. Proven, dependable IDEXX products help our customers around the world.
Please join us in supporting the World Food Programme Last December, IDEXX started a partnership with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). WFP is the largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide, both in emergency situations, such as the one in Haiti, and through longer-term efforts to help communities build their capabilities for safe and sufficient water and food supply.
"WFP is the leader in providing emergency food aid and developing sustainable food and water programs in the poorest regions of the world," says Dana E. Belisle, Director and General Manager, IDEXX Water Division. "As the leader in developing and commercializing diagnostic tools that our customers use to provide safe water and food products around the world, it's part of our values to support organizations that address the larger issues of food and water security."
In Haiti, WFP is coordinating logistics on the ground for the United Nations, the International Red Cross and other organizations. As of February 2, WFP has already fed 850,000 earthquake victims, but a lot more support is needed. Previously, IDEXX donated water-testing products to organizations in Haiti. In January, we provided equipment to support their efforts in Port-au-Prince. To find out what you can do to help or to learn more about WFP, go here.
As a leader in the water microbiology industry, IDEXX often uncovers products that claim to be equivalent to the Defined Substrate Technology (DST) of Colilert®, Colilert-18®, and other proven IDEXX products, including Colisure® and Enterolert®. However, few can provide substantial documentation to support their claims. Whether it's the lack of industry approvals, limited peer-reviewed publications, or unclear product claims, they simply aren't as flexible or reliable as IDEXX products.1
For example, IDEXX products are the only commercial rapid coliform/E.coli, enterococci, and heterotrophic plate count (HPC) products listed in Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater.2 And that's because one of the critical requirements for being included in Standard Methods is peer-review studies by independent entities. Over and over, these studies have shown Colilert and Colilert-18 to be among the most reliable and easy-to-use water microbiology test kits available.3
References:
1.
Fricker C, Warden P, Silvaggio D, et al. Comparison of five commercially available methods for the detection of coliforms and E. coli. Presented at the AWWA Water Quality Technology Conference and Exposition; November 2–6, 2003; Philadelphia, PA. 2.
Greenberg, Arnold, et al. Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater. Part 9000—Microbiological Examination. 21st ed. Washington, DC: American Public Health Association, American Water Works Association, and Water Environment Federation; 2005. 3.
Data on file at IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. Westbrook, Maine USA.
We continue to make our water microbiology testing products available—and earn approvals—around the globe. For example, Standard Methods references the following IDEXX water products within the following nonpathogen arenas:
In addition, the U.S. EPA approved IDEXX methods for the following water sources/testing needs:
FDA Approvals:
View a comprehensive list of approvals (both by country and other associations/entities).
IDEXX pioneered efforts to improve water microbiology testing with the release of Quanti-Tray® and Quanti-Tray®2000. When coupled with products such as Colilert®, Colilert®-18, Colisure®, Enterolert®, and Enterolert®-E, Quanti-Tray provides an easy method to quantify coliforms, E. coli and enterococci based on the standard method most probable number (MPN) model. The Quanti-Tray Sealer automatically distributes the sample/reagent into separate wells. After incubation, the number of positive wells can be converted to an MPN. Quanti-Tray provides counts from one to 200/100 mL. Quanti-Tray/2000 counts from one to 2,419/100 mL. Total hands-on time is less than one minute per test.
Advantages over traditional methods at a glance:
When comparing test methods, the sample volume must be sufficient to split between the two methods. Mix the full volume sample and, if a dilution is required, make the dilution prior to splitting the sample for each test method. If testing a 100-ml sample size, at least a 200-ml sample must be collected. Our IDEXX 290-ml vessels (WV290SBST-100 or WV290SB-100) can be used to collect a full volume sample for comparing test methods or running duplicate samples.
IDEXX obtains AFNOR Certification
In November of 2009, after rigorous evaluation, France's AFNOR organization approved IDEXX Colilert®-18 with Quanti-Tray® 51-well for quantifiable testing. AFNOR's certification guidelines included a preliminary study of the relative accuracy, linearity, detection and quantification limits, selectivity (inclusivity and exclusivity) and practicability of the Colilert-18/Quanti-Tray method, using samples of distribution water and fountain water spiked with strains of both coliform bacteria and E. coli. The IDEXX products performed satisfactorily compared with the standardized reference method ISO 9308-1. An inter-laboratory study followed, in which 13 laboratories were sent samples inoculated at various levels of contamination with a strain of E. coli originally isolated from water. Again, Colilert-18/Quantiy-Tray performed well compared with the NF EN ISO 9308-1 method. AFNOR validation is highly regarded in the water microbiology world and IDEXX is proud to add the AFNOR validation mark to Colilert-18/Quanti-Tray.
IDX 33/01-11/09
ALTERNATIVE METHOD OF ANALYSIS Certified by AFNOR Certification www.afnor-validation.org The AFNOR validation mark is granted to IDEXX for the following method: Colilert-18/Quanti-Tray for the quantification of E. coli and coliforms in drinking water.
H2O News To subscribe to the electronic version of IDEXX's H2O News, please click here: http://www.idexx.com//view/xhtml/en_us/water/newsletter/registration.jsf
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