ICR protocol: alternative treatment of parasite sample data

As part of the Information Collection Rule (ICR), the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has specified an immunofluorescence assay protocol for handling and reporting Giardia cyst and Cryptosporidium oocyst data. The protocol is flawed in several respects, primarily the extrapolation of cyst...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal - American Water Works Association 1999-03, Vol.91 (3), p.95-102
Main Authors: Atherholt, Thomas B., Korn, Leo R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Applied sciences
Biological and medical sciences
Cryptosporidium
Cysts
Data analysis
Drinking water and swimming-pool water. Desalination
Estimators
Exact sciences and technology
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
General aspects and techniques
Giardia
Immunofluorescence
Information Collection Rule
Laboratories
Mathematical extrapolation
Membrane filters
Oocysts
Parasites
Pollution
Potable water
Protozoa
Sucrose
Surface water
Viruses
Water filtration
Water samples
Water treatment
Water treatment and pollution
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Summary:As part of the Information Collection Rule (ICR), the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has specified an immunofluorescence assay protocol for handling and reporting Giardia cyst and Cryptosporidium oocyst data. The protocol is flawed in several respects, primarily the extrapolation of cyst and oocyst counts in a small "equivalent sample volume" analyzed to a 100-L volume, the conversion of zero counts to less than one count, and the reporting of the data collected in this manner. Such data conversion and reporting can introduce data analysis problems. USEPA's draft method 1622 for analyzing water samples for Cryptosporidium does not specify how parasite count data should be treated or analyzed. If ICR method data handling and reporting specifications are followed, parasite concentration data obtained using method 1622 could also be inaccurate. The authors propose an alternative procedure for analyzing and reporting ICR parasite data.
ISSN:0003-150X
1551-8833
DOI:10.1002/j.1551-8833.1999.tb08603.x