Faster method to detect bacterial contamination in coastal waters developed
Wednesday, March 3, 2010 - 13:28
in Earth & Climate
Currently, beachgoers are informed about water quality conditions based on results from the previous day's sample. Scientists must collect samples in the field, then return to a lab to culture them for analysis -- a process that takes a minimum of 24 hours. Now, engineers have sped up the process of analyzing bacterial concentrations to under one hour, through the development of a new in-field, rapid detection method.