Environmental Bio-Detection Products Inc. (EBPI) products

A microplate toxicity bioassay to determine acute and chronic toxicity in water, effluents, and other liquids.The Toxi-ChromoTest^TM procedure exposes the bacteria to the toxicants in the sample for a short (90-minute) incubation period. After the incubation period, a chromogenic substrate is added. If the sample is toxic, no colour will develop and if the sample is non-toxic, a distinctive blue colour quickly develops. The kit provides a clear, completely objective measurement of the toxicity of the sample by a simple visual qualitative evaluation of the colour obtained, or quantitatively by spectrophotometry using a micro-plate reader.

The Toxi-ChromoPadTM bioassay uses a novel mutant of the bacterium E. coli as the test organism. This bacterium was selected specifically for sensitivity to a wide range of toxic substances and is well adapted for acute sediment toxicity testing.

The SOS-ChromoTest kit is based on a novel genetically engineered E.coli, which measures the primary response of a cell to genetic damage. In just a few hours, the kit provides a clear, completely objective measurement of the genotoxicity of a sample by a simple visual qualitative evaluation of the degree of DNA damage the cell experiences by observing the colour obtained. A more quantitative value may be obtained by spectrophotometry using a micro-plate reader. The SOS-ChromoTestTM analyses are highly correlated with the Salmonella `Ames Test` for certain materials.