IDEXX

The IDEXX Pseudalert method has been published as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) worldwide standard 16266-2 for the 24-hour detection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in water. The ISO designation includes hospital waters, drinking water and swimming/spa pool waters. 

This is a big deal! ISO is a global, widely recognized organization focused on ensuring that products and services are safe, reliable, and of good quality. Because of ISO’s renowned status, it’s not easy to become a standard – doing so requires a rigorous, multi-year evaluation process by a highly regarded international body of experts. 

Listed under ISO 16266-2:2018, Water Quality—Detection and Enumeration of Pseudomonas aeruginosa–Part 2: Most Probable Number Method, the Pseudalert method detects P. aeruginosa in 24 hours, less than half the time of other commercially available methods. It also has high sensitivity and specificity, requires no confirmation steps, and can be more easily used with water samples that have high levels of background flora. Turnaround time is especially critical in the healthcare and hospitality industries, where receiving test results sooner enables facility managers to act more quickly to clean their water systems and protect the safety of patients and visitors. Faster turnaround time for retesting after remediation also reduces the costs of clinical downtime and closed facilities.

The Pseudalert method’s acceptance as an ISO standard marks the second such ISO milestone for an IDEXX Water diagnostic. The IDEXX Colilert®-18 method was published as an ISO standard (ISO 9308-2) in 2012 and was included as one of the two reference methods for coliforms and E. coli in the revised European Union Drinking Water Directive in 2015.

Ten months after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, the Surfrider Foundation Rincón Chapter’s Blue Water Task Force is even more committed to providing critical water testing services for local communities.

Hurricane Maria knocked out the infrastructure on the entire island, including the electricity and water supply. In Rincón, the community was accessing water from an untested spring that ran through the town. Unable to use their own laboratory due to lack of electricity, the Blue Water Task Force was fortunate to be able to set up their testing equipment, including the IDEXX Sealer and the IDEXX Colilert and Enterolert tests, at a local health center with a generator to test the water quality for the community. IDEXX has been supporting the Surfrider Foundation in Puerto Rico and other locations with supplies, training and public awareness for several years.

“One thing that really flows to the top after this whole ordeal with the hurricane is the value of a citizen science program or a community-based science program,” said Steve Tamar, Vice Chair of the Surfrider Foundation Rincón Chapter. “We are very grateful for the support that allows us to keep the Blue Water Task force efforts going in Puerto Rico.”

The video below, produced by the Blue Water Task Force, shows how volunteers used citizen science to protect the public health of the community’s most basic need: clean water. Keep a close eye out for cameos from the IDEXX Quanti-Tray Sealer and Colilert and Enterolert tests! 

The Surfrider Foundation is dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world’s ocean, waves and beaches through a powerful activist network. With 80 chapters and 70 youth clubs in North America, Surfrider helps to protect 5,656 miles of coastline with a grassroots approach to citizen science and environmental advocacy. 

To learn more about the Surfrider Foundation and their mission to protect our oceans or to find a chapter near you, please visit www.surfrider.org.