ATP test
Microbiology measurement process
title: "ATP test" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["microbiology-techniques", "environmental-chemistry", "water-pollution"] description: "Microbiology measurement process" topic_path: "science/biology" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATP_test" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Microbiology measurement process ::
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/ATP-mätare.jpg" caption="Clean-Trace ATP measuring devices" alt="Clean-Trace ATP measuring devices"] ::
The ATP test is a process of rapidly measuring actively growing microorganisms through detection of adenosine triphosphate, or ATP.
Method
ATP is a molecule found in and around living cells, and as such it gives a direct measure of biological concentration and health. ATP is quantified by measuring the light produced through its reaction with the naturally occurring firefly enzyme luciferase using a luminometer. The amount of light produced is directly proportional to the amount of ATP present in the sample.
ATP tests can be used to:
- Control biological treatment reactors
- Guide biocide dosing programs
- Determine drinking water cleanliness
- Manage fermentation processes
- Assess soil activity
- Determine corrosion / deposit process type
- Measure equipment or product sanitation
1st-generation testing ''vs''. 2nd-generation testing
1st-generation ATP tests are derived from hygiene monitoring uses where samples are relatively free of interferences. 2nd-generation tests are specifically designed for water, wastewater and industrial applications where, for the most part, samples contain a variety of components that can interfere with the ATP assay.
How ATP is measured
ATP is a molecule found only in and around living cells, and as such it gives a direct measure of biological concentration and health. ATP is quantified by measuring the light produced through its reaction with the naturally occurring firefly enzyme luciferase using a luminometer. The amount of light produced is directly proportional to the amount of biological energy present in the sample.
Within a water sample containing microorganisms, there are two types of ATP:
- Intracellular ATP – ATP contained within living biological cells.
- Extracellular ATP – ATP located outside of biological cells that has been released from dead or stressed organisms.
Accurate measurement of these two types of ATP is critical to utilizing ATP-based measurements. Being able to accurately measure these different types of ATP offers the ability to assess biological health and activity, and subsequently control water and wastewater processes.
References
https://meridian.allenpress.com/jfp/article/81/5/729/175086/Development-of-a-Novel-Hygiene-Monitoring-System
https://meridian.allenpress.com/jfp/article/85/7/1079/481183/A-Comprehensive-Analysis-of-ATP-Tests-Practical
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