Definitions and terminology to help you understand our professional scientific testing and laboratory supplies.
Organisms or biological processes that require oxygen to survive and function properly (the opposite of anaerobic).
Your water's natural ability to neutralize acids. It acts as a buffer to keep your water's pH stable, mostly coming from natural minerals in the soil.
Source: USGS - Alkalinity and Water
A chemical created when organic matter and animal waste break down in nature. It dissolves very easily into groundwater.
Source: EPA - Ammonia
Organisms or biological processes that do not require oxygen to survive or function. In environmental testing, anaerobic bacteria often thrive in sealed plumbing or deep well environments, where they can produce distinct byproducts like hydrogen sulfide gas.
An investigative laboratory procedure used to qualitatively assess or quantitatively measure the presence, amount, or functional activity of a target entity (the analyte).
The total quantity of bacteria present in a specific volume of water or on a specific surface area.
The unwanted accumulation of microorganisms, plants, or algae on wet surfaces (like the inside of pipes or toilet tanks), often causing slimy buildup and clogs.
The total number of living microorganisms present on a surface or in a water sample before any sterilization or treatment.
A secondary macronutrient that builds strong cell walls, improves nutrient transport, and helps neutralize toxic substances in plants.
Source: USGS - Hardness of Water
A type of laboratory material that changes color when a specific organism grows on it, making it easier to visually identify and differentiate strains of bacteria.
A standard unit used to estimate the number of viable bacteria or fungal cells in a sample. One CFU represents a single colony that has grown visibly on an agar plate.
Testing methods that use precise light and color changes to accurately measure the concentration of chemicals or minerals in a sample.
A common metal that almost never comes from the earth itself. Instead, it usually gets into your drinking water when older household pipes and plumbing fixtures start to wear down.
Source: EPA - Lead and Copper Rule
A type of focused testing designed to identify the specific cause, source, or location of a problem within a water system rather than just checking general quality.
A specific type of bacteria typically found in the intestines of warm-blooded animals; its presence in water is a strong indicator of surface water intrusion.
Source: EPA - Indicators: Enterococci
The process of exactly counting the number of bacterial colonies in a sample, providing precise quantitative data rather than just a basic pass/fail result.
A natural mineral found in almost all soil and rock. As water moves underground, it naturally picks up small amounts of fluoride.
Source: EPA - National Primary Drinking Water Regulations
A term used to describe a situation where indoor mold growth is actively multiplying and spreading beyond normal, expected background levels due to an active moisture source.
Source: CDC - Mold in the Environment
High-Efficiency Particulate Air. A type of pleated mechanical air filter designed to trap the vast majority of microscopic airborne particles, including mold spores and dust.
Source: EPA - Indoor Air Quality
A broad testing method that measures the overall total number of bacteria in a water sample, providing a general indicator of water quality and overall system cleanliness.
Source: EPA - National Primary Drinking Water Regulations
The dark, organic material in soil produced by the decomposition of plant and animal matter, essential for soil structure and fertility.
Source: EPA - Nutrient Management
Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning. The mechanical system used to provide heating and cooling to a building. These systems can often become hidden reservoirs for mold if moisture accumulates inside the ductwork.
A sulfur chemical usually created by specific types of bacteria that live deep underground where there is no oxygen. It's what gives water that "rotten egg" smell.
Source: MDH - Hydrogen Sulfide
A very common natural metal in the earth. As rain soaks through the soil and rock, it easily dissolves iron and carries it into your well water.
Source: EPA - Secondary Drinking Water Standards
Nuisance microorganisms that "feed" on iron in the water, oxidizing it to create a thick, rust-colored slime that can clog plumbing and well screens. They often cause water to have a swampy, musty, or oily taste and odor, and can leave a rainbow-colored sheen on the water's surface. Because they anchor themselves to surfaces, they are notoriously difficult to capture from a standard liquid water sample, making a physical sample of the slime itself the best testing method.
Source: MDH - Iron Bacteria in Well Water
A heavy metal that is rarely found in natural groundwater. It almost always enters your drinking water when older household plumbing, solders, or brass fixtures start to corrode.
Source: EPA - Lead in Drinking Water
Macronutrients (like Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium) are elements plants consume in large quantities. Micronutrients (like Calcium, Magnesium) are needed in smaller trace amounts.
Source: EPA - Nutrient Management
A secondary macronutrient that is the central atom of the chlorophyll molecule, making it absolutely essential for photosynthesis and green coloration.
Source: USGS - Hardness of Water
A natural metal found in the earth, very similar to iron. If you have iron in your water, you often have manganese too.
Source: EPA - Secondary Drinking Water Standards
A precise technique where water is pulled through a microscopic filter that traps bacteria on its surface, allowing the laboratory to easily grow and count them accurately.
Relating to a city or town and its local government. Often used to describe public water supply systems (city water) as opposed to private wells.
A chemical found in nature and in plant fertilizers. Because it dissolves easily in water, it can quickly wash from farms and lawns into your groundwater.
Source: EPA - National Primary Drinking Water Regulations
A chemical closely related to nitrate. It's often created when nitrate breaks down naturally in the environment or after it enters the human body.
Source: EPA - National Primary Drinking Water Regulations
A primary macronutrient essential for plant leaf growth and vibrant green color. It is a major component of chlorophyll, the compound by which plants use sunlight to produce sugars during photosynthesis.
Source: USGS - Nitrogen and Water
Water that is not of drinking water quality, but may still be used for many other purposes, such as agriculture, cleaning, or industrial processes.
Testing that is performed strictly for informational, baseline, or troubleshooting purposes, rather than to meet official legal compliance or strict government mandates.
The three primary chemical macronutrients required for plant growth and the foundation of most commercial fertilizers.
Source: EPA - Nutrient Management
Tiny, microscopic subdivisions of solid matter or liquid droplets suspended in the air or water (such as dust, pollen, or smoke).
Source: EPA - Particulate Matter
A primary macronutrient crucial for root development, flowering, and seed production. While it's found naturally in soil, large amounts can wash into water from farm fertilizers or septic systems.
Source: USGS - Phosphorus and Water
In microbiology, this refers to how crowded the microorganisms are in a given sample, helping analysts determine the severity of contamination.
A primary macronutrient that regulates water movement, improves disease resistance, and is vital for overall plant health and hardiness.
Source: EPA - Nutrient Management
A testing method that measures the exact numerical amount of something (like the number of bacterial colonies), rather than just giving a simple "pass/fail" or "yes/no" result.
The process of reducing the number of microorganisms in a water system or on a surface to a safe level, often through chemical treatments like chlorination.
Source: EPA - Sanitizers
Microscopic biological particles that act like "seeds", allowing fungi and molds to reproduce and travel invisibly through the air.
Source: CDC - Mold Spores
Common genera of environmental molds. Some species within these groups are notorious for causing poor indoor air quality and producing mycotoxins (often referred to colloquially as "toxic mold").
Source: EPA - Introduction to Molds
A natural mineral found in rocks and soil. As water flows underground, it easily picks up sulfate and carries it into your well.
Source: EPA - Secondary Standards
Nuisance bacteria that create hydrogen sulfide gas. Because they naturally anchor themselves to surfaces, they are notoriously difficult to capture and grow from a standard liquid water sample, taking up to a few weeks to complete testing.
Source: MDH - Hydrogen Sulfide & Sulfur Bacteria
A chemical testing method where a solution is added drop by drop until a visible reaction occurs, allowing us to calculate the exact concentration of a substance (like water hardness).
A large family of bacteria found everywhere in nature, including in humans and animals. If we find them in your well, it acts as a warning siren that your well's protective seal is broken and dirty surface water is getting in.
Source: EPA - Total Coliform Rule
A measure of how much dissolved calcium and magnesium are in your water. It’s what causes white scale buildup on your faucets and showers.
Source: USGS - Hardness of Water
A testing method that measures particles within a specific, known volume of air (e.g., liters per minute) to calculate accurate atmospheric concentrations.
A natural metal that can sometimes wash into groundwater from surrounding rocks, but can also come from the wearing down of certain plumbing fixtures.
Source: EPA - Secondary Standards
Agar is a jelly-like substance extracted from seaweed, used in laboratories to feed and grow microorganisms.
TSA (Tryptic Soy Agar) is a general-purpose growth medium that provides enough nutrients to grow a wide variety of bacteria and fungi.
MEA (Malt Extract Agar) is a specific type of agar optimized for the growth of yeasts and molds rather than bacteria.
An autoclave is a specialized pressure chamber used to completely sterilize laboratory equipment and media by subjecting them to high-pressure saturated steam, ensuring they are 100% free of living microbes.
Source: CDC - Sterilization
A specialized chemical soapy solution used to gently break open cell membranes and protect delicate DNA strands so they can be separated and viewed.
The complete set of genetic instructions (or blueprint) found within a cell that dictates exactly how an organism grows, functions, and reproduces.
Source: NIH - Genetics Glossary
Introducing a microorganism (like bacteria or fungus) into a nutrient medium where it can grow and multiply.
A nutrient-rich broth used to grow and multiply microorganisms suspended in liquid, making it easy to extract and inject into bulk substrates.
Living microorganisms (like safe strains of bacteria or fungi) provided in kits to allow students to observe actual, real-time biological growth.
The diverse community of microscopic organisms—including bacteria, fungi, and viruses—that live together in a particular environment (like a pond) or on a specific surface (like your skin).
Source: NIH - Genetics Glossary
The root-like vegetative structure of a fungus, made up of a branching network of fine, white threads that absorbs nutrients and eventually produces mushrooms.
A flexible, stretchy, waxy tape used in laboratories to securely seal petri dishes and flasks, keeping out contaminants while allowing slight gas exchange.
Microscopic, plant-like organisms that live in water. They use sunlight to create energy (photosynthesis) and produce a massive amount of the Earth's oxygen.
Source: NOAA - What are Phytoplankton?
The active, feeding stage of a slime mold. It acts as a single, giant cell containing many nuclei that moves and pulses as it searches for food.
The chemical process where a dissolved substance (like DNA) suddenly separates out from a liquid solution and becomes a visible, solid mass.
A hardened, dormant resting state of a slime mold or fungus that allows it to survive extreme environmental conditions for years before being "woken up" with water.
The clear, circular area around an antibiotic or antimicrobial substance on an agar plate where bacteria are prevented from growing.
