Why WaterGiene for water samples?
Standard ATP swabs are designed for surface measurements and produce unreliable results with water samples. The WaterGiene swab was specifically developed to detect ATP in used food plant production waters, rinse waters and wet surfaces from cleaned equipment. It provides a real-time indicator for water bacterial control systems and cleaning process validation.
The WaterGiene test runs on the H2OG channel of the novaLUM or novaLUM II — a specially calibrated 20-second analysis for detecting low levels of ATP in water. On the Firefly2, the standard LUM channel is used, with approximately half the sensitivity.
Applications of WaterGiene
CIP rinse water
Verify whether rinsing after CIP cleaning is sufficient. A high ATP value in the rinse water indicates inadequate rinsing or remaining cleaning agent residues.
Production water
Monitor the microbiological quality of production water that comes into contact with food. Early detection of elevated ATP levels prevents product contamination.
Wet surfaces
Test wet surfaces from cleaned equipment. Swab an area of 100 cm² (10×10 cm) and rotate the swab so that all sides of the tip touch the surface.
Cooling water monitoring
Detect microbiological growth in cooling water systems. Legionella and other pathogens produce ATP — an elevated value is an early warning.
Test procedure (6 steps)
Preparation
Remove the WaterGiene swab from the refrigerator. The microtube cover protects from light and should remain on until insertion into the luminometer.
Withdraw swab
Withdraw the swab by pulling the swab handle from the WaterGiene body. Avoid exposure of the swab tip to light as much as possible. Perform steps 3 and 4 within 15 seconds.
Take sample
For water: place swab tip in water and swirl for 5 seconds. For wet surfaces: swab an area of 100 cm² and rotate the swab so that all sides of the tip touch the surface.
Reinsert swab
Reinsert swab in WaterGiene body. Hold upright with microtube pointing down. Twist down until swab is fully inside microtube. Shake WaterGiene 3 times so liquid is forced into microtube. Unscrew handle, shake 3 more times, then twist handle down again.
Activation
Remove microtube cover. Slowly insert WaterGiene into the novaLUM within 10 seconds of activation until the swab body is fully seated in the sample chamber.
Start measurement
Immediately press ENTER, OK or the Run Swab icon to read on the H2OG or LUM channel. Result in RLU after 20 seconds (H2OG) or standard time (LUM).
Interferences and important notes
Light sensitivity
WaterGiene elements are sensitive to light (H2OG channel). Avoid sunlight and daylight. Limit swab exposure to 15 seconds (when swabbing) or 5 seconds (when testing solutions).
Static electricity
Static may yield elevated results. Handle WaterGiene and novaLUM only with bare (non-gloved) hands to minimise static generation.
pH value
WaterGiene may be influenced by strong pH changes caused by cleaning or sanitising chemicals. Rinse water samples must have a pH between 4 and 9. Adjust with NaOH or HCl if needed.
Result interpretation
RLU ≤ limit = PASS (clean water / clean wet surface)
RLU > limit = FAIL — re-test the sample. The water or surface contains ATP associated with microorganisms, foodstuffs or other biologics.
The definition of 'clean water' and 'clean wet surface' is user-defined. RLU results increase with the contamination level. Limits must be validated for each specific environment.
Storage and shelf life
Store WaterGiene swabs refrigerated (0–7 °C, or 0–4.5 °C for US certified labs). For 1–2 day shipment (receipt within 72 hours) refrigerated shipping is not required.
Used WaterGiene swabs contain no glass or hazardous substances and may be discarded in ordinary waste containers. The WaterGiene body is made of recyclable material. Follow local disposal regulations.
Order codes
| POCK-H2OP-25K | 25 WaterGiene Swabs |
| POCK-H2OP-100K | 100 WaterGiene Swabs |
Not supplied with kit: novaLUM instrument, ATP Positive Control Tablets (ATP-PLUS-4 or ATP-PLUS-20).