Bio-Rad's RAPID'E.coli 2 Agar for Water Testing Receives EPA Approval

HERCULES, Calif. — Bio-Rad Laboratories last week announced that its RAPID'E.coli 2 Agar for water testing has received approval from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for testing drinking and untreated water for E. coli and total coliforms. The solution includes chromogenic medium and a selective supplement that can detect these bacteria without the need for a confirmation step.

 

The Bio-Rad RAPID'E.coli 2 Agar for water testing provides simultaneous enumeration of E. coli and other coliforms, delivering results in less than 24 hours. The bright color utilized in the medium offers strong contrast in helping to identify the presence of target organisms from interfering flora, Bio-Rad said.

 

Standard methods to test water for E. coli and coliforms usually involves a series of complex steps, and the results often lack selectivity, which can be challenging for water testing since interfering flora may be abundant, particularly in nontreated water sources such as spring water and wells, Bio-Rad said. The RAPID'E.coli 2 Agar for water testing aims to offer direct and specific discrimination of E. coli from other coliforms.

 

"Our RAPID'E.coli 2 Agar for water testing reflects Bio-Rad's commitment to providing innovative solutions for water safety testing," said Jean-Francois Chauvet, vice president and general manager, Bio-Rad Applied Markets. "The stringent and comprehensive requirements required for EPA validation are well aligned with our goal to provide high-quality products for water testing as well as our goal to streamline workflows and improve efficiencies."

 

The EPA approval provides validation for use RAPID'E.coli 2 Agar for water testing in U.S. laboratories. The method has also received the NF Validation Certificate, a certification from the AFNOR Groupe designed to validate commercial microbial analysis kits that is recognized in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.