Measurement of bioluminescence produced by the luciferin luciferase system is a reliable method for the determination of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). In this paper the use of Luciferase ATP assay in oil field waters is evaluated and compared with the most widely used API serial dilution method.

We found that the ATP method was reproducible and in close agreement with the API method when performed in laboratory conditions. ATP assay in field conditions is adversely affected by many factors. Salt concentration of water is one of the main factors that significantly reduces photometric readings. Other factors that affect the photometric readings are: temperature, U.V. light, purity of reagents, inorganic ions and concentration of microorganisms.

Comparison of data using ATP Standard Curve vs Internal Standard indicated that the use of internal standard gives comparatively better results in field conditions. Furthermore, filtered field water samples gave higher photometric readings than nonfiltered samples.

It is our conclusion that because of the sensitivity of Luciferase ATP assays to various factors as stated above, use of this method in field conditions should be carried out with extreme care. One has to be aware of the characteristics of this bioluminescence system and know its limitations.

Subject
Water, Salts, Rocks, Laboratory data, Mixtures, Springs, Bacteria, Reagents, Oilfields, Biocides, Chemical reactions, Microorganisms, Samples
© 1988 Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP). All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of AMPP. Positions and opinions advanced in this work are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of AMPP. Responsibility for the content of the work lies solely with the author(s).
1988
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
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