OWML: QA/QC

Quality Assurance/Quality Control Manual: Ohio Water Microbiology Laboratory.
Updated October 2008

By Donna S. Francy, Rebecca N. Bushon, Erin E. Bertke, Christina A. Likirdopulos, Amie M. G. Brady, Christopher M. Kephart, Erin Stelzer, and Donald M. Stoeckel

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION

• Purpose and scope
• Organizational structure

GENERAL LABORATORY QUALITY ASSURANCE/QUALITY-CONTROL PRACTICES

• Analytical Methods

• Training

• Safety

• Laboratory Materials and Equipment

• General Sterility and Cleanliness

• Autoclaves

• Laboratory Water

• Analytical Balances

• Hoods

• Specific Conductance, pH, and Turbidity Meters

• Micropipettors

• Vacuum Pump

• Thermometers, incubators, water baths, refrigerators, and freezers

• Microscope

• Centrifuge

• Thermal Cyclers

• Sample management and documentation

METHODS OF ANALYSIS, MEDIA AND REAGENT PREPARATION, AND ANALYTICAL QUALITY-CONTROL PROCEDURES

• Compliance And Official Methods

• Fecal-indicator bacteria

• Coliphage

• Cryptosporidium

• Actinomycetes
   

• Research Methods

• Rapid Methods For Fecal-Indicator Bacteria

• Direct Detection Of Pathogens

• Microbial Source Tracking Markers

REFERENCES

APPENDICES

A.          OWML Service request form

AA.   Equipment QC Log Sheet

B.            Sample log sheet

BB.   Instructions for quality control of deionized water

C.            MI agar preparation

D.           Analysis of E. coli and total coliforms using Colilert Quanti-Tray

D1.   Collection and analysis of sediment samples using Colilert Quantitray

E.            Presence/absence analysis of E. coli and total coliforms using Colilert, large volume samples

F.            mTEC agar and urea-phenol solution preparation

G.           Modified mTEC agar preparation

H.            mEI agar preparation

I.             Analysis of Clostridium perfringens in environmental water samples

J.             Media quality-control procedures

K.            Media and buffer quality-control log sheet

L.            Expendable supplies request form

M.           Buffer preparation

O.           Coliphage detection by USEPA Method 1602: Single-Agar Layer (SAL)

O1. NWIS coding for coliphage results

P.            QC for Method 1602: Single-Agar Layer (SAL)

Q.           Coliphage detection by USEPA Method 1601: Two-Step Enrichment

R.            QC for Method 1601: Two-Step Enrichment

S.            Detection of Actinomycetes in water
 

TABLES

1. Current laboratory personnel and qualifications
    
2. Acceptance criteria for laboratory water quality-assurance checks
    
3. Acceptance criteria for laboratory thermometers
    
4. Acceptance criteria for laboratory refrigerators, freezers, incubators, and water baths
    
5. Methods for fecal-indicator bacteria analysis used by the Ohio Water Microbiology Laboratory
    
6. Information on media, buffered-dilution water, and reagents prepared and stored in the Ohio Water Microbiology Laboratory
    
7. Target pH values for media and reagent preparation