At CIMA (Atlantic Center for Environmental Research, S.L.), we want to show you what we do—both in our offices and beyond.

On this page, you’ll find a series of short videos called "Things We Do at CIMA", which will help explain what we do and how we do it. All to bring you closer to the world of Marine Biology and Oceanography.

«Things We Do at CIMA» #14: Microbiological Analyses:

As seen in the video about flowmeters, some of our services are closely linked to wastewater in general. These include flow measurements, pollution level assessments, and verification of emission compliance.

In this context, one of our tasks is to collect samples at various points in the network to analyze different parameters. Some of these are microbiological analyses, which determine the quality of discharged waters.

Among other parameters, we typically perform bacteriological analyses to measure the presence and concentration of health-hazardous bacteria, such as coliforms and enterococci.

To facilitate these measurements, we use a Quanti-Tray Bag , which helps us perform a Most Probable Number (MPN) count of coliforms. We apply the “Single Dilution Method”, a test specifically designed for MPN counting of coliform bacteria (indicators of fecal contamination) in water samples, applicable to all types of water intended for human consumption.

The Colilert-18 technique is based on Defined Substrate Technology (DST), patented by IDEXXwhich enables simultaneous detection of total coliforms and E. coli. The DST method uses indicator nutrients—reagents that cause color changes in water samples under study:

– Total coliforms: Metabolize the chromogenic substrate , causing a color shift from transparent to yellow.

– Escherichia coli: These bacteria also metabolize substrates and specifically break down a fluorogenic substrate, producing fluorescence.

Using these reagent-equipped cells, we can detect total coliforms and differentiate E. coli cells, which fluoresce under ultraviolet light. We also use similar cells with other reagents to detect intestinal enterococci.

If concentrations of these bacteria exceed healthy limits, we notify responsible parties to take immediate action.