Pathogen check
Qualitative and quantitative germ analysis in wastewater.
Tailored analysis – “Made by VTA” – we are committed to safety and sustainability. All for the good of our environment.
Our wastewater treatment plants are home to numerous viruses and germs. Whether it’s adenoviruses, rotaviruses, or noroviruses – it’s important to know what’s in our wastewater, because every plant is different and individual, even if the challenges faced by most are similar.
VTA’s process engineers, biologists and chemists analyse all of the processes involved in wastewater and sludge treatment and use their findings as the basis for creating effective and individual solutions for each plant as part of a comprehensive process engineering consultation.
Using the very latest evaluation methods, analysis techniques and high-tech across the board, our biologists can provide a detailed investigation that is perfectly tailored to your plant. Regular checks and examinations allow us to provide optimum support for your treatment plant.
The experienced team of VTA biologists provides accurate diagnoses of special problems, reports to accompany tests and detailed expert opinions. Our specialists are always available to answer any questions you may have.
VTA – we make things clear.
Microbiology pathogen check
- Qualitative and quantitative microbial analysis in wastewater through a combination of traditional, proven microbiological processes and the very latest technology.
- Qualitative results and detection of specific antibiotic resistances (carbapenems, vancomycin).
- Reliable quantitative determination of the bacterial count in wastewater samples before and after dosing with VTA Hydroprompt® FORTE.
- ATP-based analysis as an indicator of living biomass
Molecular biology pathogen check
- Qualitative detection of pathogenic viral load in wastewater using molecular biological methods.
Virus detection portfolio:
– Hepatitis A
– Norovirus
– Rotavirus
– SARS-COV-2
– Adenovirus - Selected methods also allow the specific detection of resistance genes against various classes of antibiotics, including for example vancomycin and carbapenems.
Microbiology
Traditional microbiological cultivation methods on universal and selective culture media (solid agar culture media) after inoculation with an adequate sample quantity.
Quanti-Tray™-System
Specialised, precise methods (Colilert®-18, Enterolert®-DW), are used to reliably detect and quantify coliforms, E. coli and enterococci in water in accordance with standards (ISO 13843, ISO 7899-2, ISO 9308-2).
CASY (cell counting system)
CASY system technology is already used in cytobiology, microbiology, biochemistry and physics. With its standardised cell counting method and accurate measurement of viability and cell volume with a high dynamic range, the CASY Cell Counter & Analyzer provides a reliable quantitative assessment of the microbial populations present in wastewater. Based on reference method ISO 13319 (GLP/GMP compliant), integrated quality control system.
Real time qPCR (RT-qPCR)
Qualitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (real-time-qPCR) makes the direct detection of DNA or RNA sequences possible. With this technique, target gene sequences are reproduced above the detection threshold and detected using probes labelled with a fluorescent dye. Can be used for the specific detection of viruses and bacteria in wastewater.
Glomax “LIFE” analysis
Our “LIFE” analysis makes it possible to detect and accurately analyse all living microbes in a sample in just a few minutes. The Water-Glo-TM® system enables the detection of living organisms even at very low levels. This ATP-based detection method (adenosine triphosphate) is an indicator of the presence of living microbial biomass in wastewater samples.
Automatic colony counter Scan® 1200
The Scan® 1200, an automatic colony counter with powerful software, makes it possible to detect colonies as small as 0.05 mm. Automatic optimisation of contrast, illumination and sensitivity enables the detection of a wide variety of colonies. This allows us to provide rapid detection and enable prompt differentiation of bacteria with up to eight different antibiotic sensitivities.
Aerosol measurement
To protect the health of specialist personnel, but also the environment adjacent to a wastewater treatment plant, the VTA Institute for Health and Environment offers aerosol measurements and qualitative and quantitative germ load determinations of aerosols in sewage treatment plants. Taking the weather data into account, we create a detailed air quality analysis of the entire facility.
