E.coli bacteria
“We live now in the Age of Bactria. Our Planet has always been in the Age of
Bacteria, ever since the first fossils – bacteria, of course – were entombed in
rocks more than 3 billion years ago. Bacteria – and always have been – the
dominant forms of life on Earth“ - Steven J. Gould
Bacteria
Bacteria is a single celled microorganisms which can exist either as independent (free-living) organisms or as parasites (dependent upon another organism for life). There are three separate Domains of Bacteria:
- Eukarya
- Archaea
- Bacteria
This is a biochemistry, genetics and cellular structure distinction. If bacterial air sampling is performed, bacteria, for environmental purposes, is generally separated into Gram positive and Gram negative. Gram was the inventor of the crystal violet stain analysis to determine if the bacterial is Gram positive or Gram negative. Some Gram positive bacteria:
- Bacillus
- Staphylococcus
- Corynebacterium
- Actinomycetes
- Mycobacterium
- Nocardia
Some Gram negative bacteria are:
- E. coli – sewage
- Legionella pneumophila
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa
- Neisseria gonorrhea
Sewage
If there has been a sewage backup, toilet overflow, or waste water leak that produces an odor, it needs to be professionally cleaned up. Isolate the areas impacted and call a professional abatement company. Your chosen abatement company should follow the national standard for bacterial removal which is the IICRC S500. If you suspect a sewage leak or spill, preliminary testing can be performed to determine the presence of E.coli and the extent of the contamination. The national standard required any water spill that had not been cleaned up within 72 hours to be considered a black (sewage) water spill. After a sewage abatement (cleanup) and before the isolated areas are opened, bacterial testing should be performed to confirm the area can safely be re-occupied. Depending upon your specific needs and contamination, bacterial air sampling may be recommended for clearance documentation. Bacterial air sampling may also be indicated during the initial inspection. American Air Testing does perform other bacterial air and swab sampling. Please give us a call with your special needs.
Why should I test for sewage contamination?
The health related issues with E.coli – sewage – exposure are well documented. We can provide sewage clearance reports. On more complex projects, clean-up directions with preliminary testing can also be provided. We can also provide air borne bacteria for sewage clearance documentation needs. All remediators and abatement contractors listed the listed provide sewage and bacterial cleanup.
