To standardize and calibrate these tests, the process has recently been repeated using fewer samples and bioassays. After the second round of results has been collated this spring, the labs will begin analyzing natural environmental samples. One of the results of this project will be to produce a resource manual for interested laboratories that documents testing protocols and quality control procedures, and interprets results for the core battery of bioassays. It is hoped that the institutions currently involved in WaterTox will eventually transfer their newly acquired technologies to other labs in their home countries. Boys washing dishes in a lake near their home.
Contaminated water is the norm rather than the exception in developing countries.
Under the program, dozens of public and high schools in Canada and around the world are carrying out environmental tests for bacterial pollution and the presence of toxics. By providing people with the tools to measure water quality, these programs are raising international awareness of the hazards of contaminated water, and enabling citizens to make more informed decisions about their health.