Pros and Cons of Rapid Bacterial Testing Methods
Bacteria are the most abundant species on earth. In fact, there are typically 40 million bacterial cells in one gram of soil and a million bacterial cells in a milliliter of fresh water.
Figure 2: Bacteria in Water
Figure 1: Bacteria in Soil
There are approximately 5×1030 bacteria on Earth forming a biomass which exceeds that of all plants and animals. Bacteria play a vital role in many stages of global nutrient cycle. It is safe to say, we can not live without bacteria.
Figure 3: The Role of Bacteria in the Nitrogen Cycle. AMT Scientific. February 5, 2020
In most cases, bacteria concentration is at a safe level which do nearly no harm to human health. However in some environments, bacterial growth may exceed what they normally do and reach a point that they can cause illness. Moist and warm environments, such as kitchen and bathroom, are the most ideal for bacterial growth. At the same time, there is also a higher potential of bacterial contamination within these environments.
Figure 4: Bacteria in kitchen
Figure 5: Bacteria in Bathroom
One may encounter hundreds of bacteria on a daily basis. Among those, Escherichia coli, Salmonella bacteria, Enterococcus bacteria are the most common ones. Typically, they are controlled at a very low concentration. However, exceeding the controlled concentrations, they can cause illness.
Figure 6: Escherichia coli
Table 1: Types of Bacterial Infections
So, the question is how can you prevent bacterial contamination? Regular monitoring and cleaning will be able to eliminate the bacterial contamination in most cases.
There are a lot of methods available for you on the market to perform bacterial test at home. But which one is the most suitable for you? In the table 2, we break down most of the common methods available and their pros & cons.
Table 2: Pros and Cons of Common Testing Methods
We would recommend performing a bacterial test for any potential contaminated environment at least once per week. Daily monitoring is recommended for the high-risk environment.
As for cleaning, there are a lot of choices available on the market. We recommend use those anti-bacterial detergent or bleach detergent containing sodium hypochlorite which is very efficient to control bacterial growth. It is also very important to perform regular cleaning at least once per week and daily cleaning for high-risk environment.
If you are interested in bacterial tests, we offer different options in the “Online Shop” section.
Sources:
Fig.1. Bacteria.Retrieved February, 2020 from
Fig.2. Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Bacteria.
Niaid – Retrieved February, 2020 from https://www.flickr.com/photos/niaid/16843981465
Fig.4. Kitchen. Retrieved January 29, 2020 from https://pixabay.com/photos/kitchen-interior-home-house-white-3496594/
Fig.5.Bathroom. Jean van der Meulen – Retrieved January 29, 2020 from
Fig.6. E. Coli Bacteria
Niaid – Retrieved January 29, 2020 from https://www.flickr.com/photos/niaid/16598492368/
Table 1.Bacterial Infections 101: Types, Symptoms, and Treatments. Retrieved January 29, 2020 from