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Correct handling and preservation of water samples is crucial to ensure their integrity for arsenic speciation measurements. ISO TS 19620:2018 is a method for the determination of arsenic(iii) and arsenic(v) species in waters by liquid chromatography (LC) coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) or hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry (HG-AFS). During the development of this method, a study was performed to establish the best practices for storage and preservation of samples to maintain the integrity of the arsenic speciation and stability. Four arsenic species were studied: arsenite (As(iii)), arsenate (As(v)), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) in three different water types: deionised water, mineral water and natural river water. The effect of sample bottle material, light, storage temperature, and acidification were evaluated. When samples are acidified and refrigerated, they can reliably be stored for up to 12 weeks without significantly affecting the arsenic concentration and speciation. The sample bottle material and light had no affect on the speciation integrity or stability.

Inhalation of aerosols containing Legionella pneumophila, a water-borne bacteria commonly found in natural and manmade water systems, is the main causative agent of Legionnaires’ disease (LD). Approximately 10–15% of all reported cases of LD result in fatality, with susceptibility to the disease being higher in immunosuppressed patients, men over 45 years of age, alcoholics, smokers and individuals with underlying diseases. The World Health Organisation (WHO), European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and The United Kingdom (UK) Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have implemented a strict code of practice and guidelines to minimise the risk of the public from contracting LD. This paper provides a critical review of these three published guidelines. Evidence suggests that the current detection methods for Legionella, by culture and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), show large disparities in the detection and quantification of bacteria in water samples, raising concerns a...

In the food and water industry, a rapid response to bacterial contamination is often required to avoid public health risks or product recalls. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) is a widely used technique in clinical testing, but so far relatively unexplored in commercial microbiological testing laboratories. In this chapter, we describe and then compare MALDI-TOF MS with current confirmation methods. We then highlight the advantages of this technique that include revolutionary cost-reduction, significant time-saving, and ease of use. We include a detailed example of a validation study for the speciation of a major food pathogen, Listeria spp. in a range of food matrices. This involved performing both MALDI-TOF speciation and traditional ISO 17025 confirmation methods. Not only did MALDI-TOF proved to be equivalent or better than current confirmation methods, but also it displayed a consistent species identification rate of 97%, regardless of food matrix, method, or media type. This chapter highlights the successful integration of this technique in a very busy UKAS accredited commercial microbiology laboratory.

Regulatory agencies in recent decades have paid increasing attention to assessment of toxic contamination of the environment, in particular the aquatic ecosystem. The evaluation of toxic impact has seen the development of various methods, including ecological indicators, bioassays and biosensors using microbial species, invertebrates and plants.

Covering the latest developments in themes related to water disinfection by-products, this book brings the reader right up to date. Stemming from an international conference, contributions are from decision-makers, regulators and the relevant scientific community. Coverage includes emerging disinfection by-products, water treatment, water recycling, monitoring, regulation and health and toxicology aspects. It will be of interest to water companies, public health professionals, drinking water quality regulators, suppliers of laboratory and on-line monitoring equipment, analytical chemists, and academic and industry researchers working in the area of disinfection by-products.

Introduction Scene setting How do we assess and manage the actual risks Real life examples Lessons learnt What can be done in future? Conclusions Subject Index