Redox potential measurement as a rapid method for microbiological testing and its validation for coliform determination

Abstract

The redox potential is one of the most complex indicators of the physiological state of microbial cultures and its measurement could be a useful tool for the qualitative and quantitative determination of the microbial contamination. During the bacterial growth, the redox potential of the medium decreases. The shape of the redox potential curve is characteristic on the type of microorganism, and the rate of the change (dE/dt) is proportional to the living cell concentration. Defining the time required to reach a significant change in redox potential as Time to Detection (TTD), similarly to the impedimetric measurements, a strict linear correlation could be established between the TTD and the logarithm of the initial concentration of microorganisms. On the base of this calibration curve, the determination of living cell concentration could be simplified. For the experiments, a computer-controlled multi-channel measuring system and software was developed by the authors. The redox potential measurement method was tested and validated for the determination of coliform bacteria. The results have proved the high efficiency and reliability of the new method.