OWML: QA/QC

Quality Assurance/Quality Control Manual: Ohio Water Microbiology Laboratory.
Updated March 2013

By Donna S. Francy, Rebecca N. Bushon, Amie M. G. Brady, Christopher M. Kephart, Erin A. Stelzer, Jessica Doll, and Christopher D. Ecker

This site is currently under construction, including the renumbering of Appendices.

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

• Culture Methods for Indicator Bacteria
• Coliphage
• Cryptosporidium and Giardia
• Actinomycetes
• Rapid Methods For Indicator Bacteria
• Direct Detection Of Pathogens
• Microbial Source Tracking Markers

REFERENCES

APPENDICES

General Instructions

• A1_new - Instructions for quality control of deionized water
• A2_new - Buffer preparation

Forms

• B1_new - Temperature log sheet
• B2_new - Sample log sheet
• B3_new - Service request form
• B4_new - Media and buffer quality-control log sheet
• B5_new - Expendable supplies request form
• B6_new - QC log for Actinomycetes detection by double agar layer method

Culture Methods

• C1_new - M-Endo method for total coliforms
• C2_new - MI agar method for total coliforms and Escherichia coli
• C3_new - Colilert Quanti-Tray and presence/absence methods for total coliforms and Escherichia coli
• C4_new - mFC method for fecal coliforms
• C5_new - Modified mTEC method for Escherichia coli
• C6_new - Colilert Quanti-Tray sediment method for Escherichia coli
• C7_new - mEI method for enterococci
• C8_new - Verification of enterococci colonies from mEI
• C9_new - Enterolert Quanti-Tray for enterococci
• C10_new - mCP agar method for Clostridium perfringens
• C11_new - Indicator bacteria quality-control procedures
• C12_new - Coliphage detection by USEPA Method 1602, single-agar layer method
• C13_new - Coliphage detection by USEPA Method 1601, Two-step enrichment method
• C14_new - Detection of Actinomycetes in water
• T - Verification of enterococci colonies from mEI (coming soon...)
• U - Use of qPCR for microbial source tracking (coming soon...)

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 - Culture methods for indicator bacteria used by the Ohio Water Microbiology
• 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