OWML: QA/QC

Quality Assurance/Quality Control Manual: Ohio Water Microbiology Laboratory.
Updated February 2007

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

• Fecal-indicator bacteria

• Enteric viruses

• Coliphage

• Cryptosporidium and Giardia

• Actinomycetes

REFERENCES

APPENDIXES

A.          OWML Service request form

AA.   Equipment QC Log Sheet

B.            Sample log sheet

C.            MI agar preparation

D.           Analysis of water samples using Colilert Quanti-Tray

D1.   Collection and analysis of sediment samples using Colilert Quanti-Tray

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

N.           RT-PCR elution protocol

N1. Inhibitor removal protocol

N2. Quality control samples for RT-PCR analysis

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