BD Diagnostic Systems, Sparks, MD, announces the release of two new chromogenic media formulations for testing recreational waters, Difco™ Modified mTEC Agar and Difco™ mEI Agar. These two Difco chromogenic water testing media are in addition to the recently released Difco MI Agar for testing drinking water. All three formulations offer a simplified, single membrane technique providing accurate, quantified, confirmatory results in 24 hours or less.

Difco Modified mTEC Agar is a selective culture medium used for the chromogenic detection and enumeration of thermotolerant Escherichia coli in water by the membrane filtration technique. Modified mTEC Agar conforms with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Approved Method 1603: Escherichia coli (E. coli) in Water by Membrane Filtration Using Modified membrane-Thermotolerant Escherichia coli Agar (Modified mTEC).

Utilizing the single-step membrane filtration technique, Difco mEI Agar is a selective culture medium used for the chromogenic detection and enumeration of enterococci in water. It conforms with the USEPA Approved Method 1600: Enterococci in Water by Membrane Filtration Using membrane-Enterococcus Indoxyl-b-D-Glucoside Agar (mEI).

Both Difco Modified mTEC Agar and Difco mEI Agar are recommended in the USEPA publication EPA/821/R-97/004, March 2000, "Improved Enumeration Methods for the Recreational Water Quality Indicators: Enterococci and Escherichia coli." This USEPA publication supports the federal legislation: Beaches Environmental Assessment, Cleanup, and Health Act of 1999, to work with state and local government health laboratories on maintenance of beach water quality.

The recently launched Difco MI Agar is a new, chromogenic/fluorogenic water-testing medium, licensed under the USEPA for monitoring drinking water under the Total Coliform Rule and monitoring source water under the Surface Water Treatment Rule. MI Agar conforms to the USEPA 2002 Method 1604: Total Coliforms and Escherichia coli in Water by Membrane Filtration Using a Simultaneous Detection Technique (MI Medium).

All three formulations are available either as Difco™ dehydrated culture media or as BBL™ prepared plated media. For more information on BD Difco Modified mTEC Agar and BD Difco mEI Agar, please call 1-800-638-8663, or contact your BD Diagnostic Systems representative.

Difco is a trademark of Difco Laboratories, Inc., a subsidiary of Becton, Dickinson and Company. BD and BBL are trademarks of Becton, Dickinson and Company. ©2003 BD June 2003