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BPC Instruments participates in inter-laboratory BMP study
BPC Instruments has been included in an inter-laboratory study to investigate and work towards the standardisation of biochemical methane potential (BMP) tests. Published in Bioresource Technology, the aim of the study was to compare methodologies and results between different BMP testing labs. BPC Instruments acted as a “reference” laboratory and was compared with 31 testing laboratories alongside 5 other reference labs.
BPC’s flagship instrument, the Automated Methane Potential Testing System (AMPTS), was used by one third of the participating laboratories, including eight testing laboratories and two reference labs. Other labs used traditional manual and manometric methods. The BMP of six different substrates were evaluated and compared, including animal feeds, whey and a positive control of cellulose.
Method improvements were suggested in the study, including choosing alternatives to manual volumetric methods to reduce errors, improving inoculum selection and applying standard validation criteria from previous publications (Hollinger et al., 2021). The authors also recommended including specific methane production (SMP) curves to identify problematic BMP tests.
The study showed a high level of reproducibility between reference labs, including BPC Instruments, meaning that BMP results were consistent for the tested substrates. While testing laboratories showed less reproducible data, improvements were seen after applying method improvements and troubleshooting.
“We are very pleased to be selected as a reference laboratory for comparison of BMP testing at a global scale. This study presents a roadmap of practical recommendations to substantially reduce the magnitude of errors for those working with BMP tests.” says Mihaela Nistor, Senior Sales Scientist and co-author of the study.
Overall, this study showed not only the strength of the AMPTS system for conducting reproducible BMP tests, but also the high standard of our in-house laboratory and expertise in BMP testing.
Read the full paper in Bioresource Technology here: Reliable biochemical methane potential testing: insights and recommendations from global interlaboratory study