Environmental Microbiology Laboratory Capabilities.

This report provides the base Bioenvironmental Engineer BEE and the United States Air Force USAF environmental community with information on the Armstrong Laboratory, Occupational and Environmental Health Directorate, Occupational Medicine Divisions environmental microbiology capabilities. Our environmental microbiology laboratory has established procedures for collecting and identifying Giardia from low turbidity water, providing assistance in conducting Sick Building Syndrome SBS when microbiological contamination is suspected, and collecting and examining environmental samples for suspected microbiological contamination. The scope of this report is to provide information on the importance of having environmental microbiological testing capability and to provide information on the environmental microbiological services available at the Armstrong Laboratory. The importance of environmental microbiology is increasing as the distinction between pathogenic disease causing and saprophytic normally nondisease causing microorganisms decreases.