Microbiology Laboratory: Water Sampling

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Firstly, the water sampling procedure must be followed accordingly to avoid re-sampling. That is because if the sample is not taken properly, following the procedure, then contamination of the water samples might occur. When the water samples are to be tested in the laboratory, the result might not be accurate. To do water sampling, the individuals should wash their hands thoroughly first, then wear gloves when collecting the samples. The reason is that to avoid the contamination of water sample and protect the individuals from affected by microbial organisms in the water that might be harmful to humans. After that, all the samples collected must be put in the clean bottle with detail labelling. Labelling the bottle before taking the water sample is important to avoid the sample to be mixed up. In addition, it is advisable that do not use the water-soluble ink when doing the labelling as the blurred ink can be hard to read and it will become difficult to identify the sample.
To transport water sample to the microbiology laboratory to be analyzed, firstly the microbiology laboratory nearby should be contacted beforehand or as soon as possible to inform about the water sample to be analyzed so that they can prepare appropriate material for the analysis. Proper packaging is very important in order to retain the condition of water sample and to avoid the water sample contamination. As soon as the water sample is collected following the proper procedure and kept in a clean, sterile bottle, the sample should be packaged in a shipping cooler or foam box that is can only be used for that particular sample only.
The samples should be kept in ice to ensure that the temperature of the sample low. Using the regular ice is good enough to keep the sample cold. However, dry ice should never be used as it will possibly freeze the sample and it is not safe to ship. The cooler should be double lined with plastic bags, to avoid leaking occurs. Few suggestions of suitable bag that can be used are large durable plastics or garbage bag. The recommended temperature to keep the water sample is around 0 to 10 °C. The important of cold condition is that, to prevent the bacteria from multiplied.

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