What Is It and Why Is It Important?

Bioburden testing has emerged as a major business activity for the recent past. It is mainly of two types, airborne and non-aerosol based. Both bioburden analyzer instruments and laboratory kits are developed to test the air, soil and water for hazardous substances. This helps in the safe handling of the wastes by industries and other organizations.

The term bioburden refers to the hazardous material’s burden that is associated with its disposal. This can be generated from a variety of sources. It can be generated naturally by organisms living in the environment or may be a byproduct of human activities. While bioburden testing helps in reducing the burden of these hazardous substances, it also helps in protecting the environment from further harm.

The concept of bioburden testing originated in the 1970s. The technique was first used to test for safety standards for construction sites. It has since then been refined to test for air, ground and water hazardous waste.

These toxic wastes can contain thousands of chemical ingredients, solvents, radioactive elements and radioactive isotopes. These can range from simple organic substances to heavy metals like lead, arsenic and mercury. These can also come in the form of radioactive compounds and crystals. Some of them can be in the form of soil runoff or discharge during power generation. All these waste elements have the potential to contaminate the environment and present a serious health risk to individuals and the community.

The process of bioburden testing starts by collecting air samples at different places in the environment. After the samples are collected, they are sent to special labs where specialized machines separate the different components. In the process, various hazardous waste elements are separated and identified. They are then sent to a central storage facility for safekeeping.

The aim of the bioburden testing is to identify and eliminate the health risks posed by these chemicals and other waste elements in the environment. This is also meant to contribute towards a cleaner and healthier environment. The testing has also the capacity to reduce costs and unnecessary pollution in the present environmental scenario. In addition to this, the testing is also in the favor of both the government and the private industry as both of them would benefit from a clean and healthy environment. In short, the bioburden testing not only ensures safety in the present but also serves as an effective means of ensuring safety in the future. The main objectives of the bioburden testing are primarily related to the management of toxic wastes in the environment.

The process involves multiple steps and the primary one is the collection of bioburden testing data and establishing a database for future reference. Subsequently, the collected samples are analyzed by experts for determining the amount and type of waste in the environment. The bioburden laboratory also takes the samples for quality control testing and for obtaining data on the health risks posed by the waste. In addition, it helps in protecting the occupational safety standards set for the workers and the public in general. The professionals involved in bioburden testing perform various tasks such as the analysis of the samples, drawing up the report on the findings and then disseminating this information to management, regulatory authorities, regulatory agencies and relevant bodies in the industry.

The bioburden testing is indeed an essential process to ensure the safety and protection of the environment. It also helps in the timely detection of any potential hazards that might pose threats to the health of the people living in the surroundings. The bioburden testing services are also provided at the local, regional, national and international levels. These services are specifically offered by the Waste and Safety Assessment Service (WSAS), Environmental Assessment Service (EAAS), Environment Agency (EA) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). In fact, there are also some third-party bioburden testing organizations that conduct their own bioburden assessments.