"Using adenosine triphosphate testing to differentiate between eukaryotic and prokaryotic contamination in industrial fluids"

An adenosine triphosphate (ATP) test method has been developed to determine whether microbial contamination in industrial fluid systems is comprised of eukaryotes, prokaryotes of a combination of both.  The qualitative, differential method is used as a follow-up test after total, cellular ATP (cATP) has been quantified.   Laboratory and field evaluations have demonstrated that the protocol reliably differentiates between eukaryotic microbes and prokaryotes.