title: Quality testing of autoclaved rodent drinking water during short-term and long-term storage.
abstract: All animals need clean water to drink. At the authors' animal facility, drinking water for immunocompromised rodents is filtered by reverse osmosis, acidified during bottling and sterilized in an autoclave. Autoclaved water bottles can be stored in unopened autoclave bags for 7 d or in opened bags for 2 d; if not used during that time, they are emptied, cleaned, refilled and sterilized again. The authors wished to determine whether the storage period of 2-7 d was adequate and necessary to ensure the quality of drinking water. They tested water bottles for pH levels and for the presence of adenosine triphosphate as a measure of organic contamination during short-term and long-term storage. The pH of autoclaved drinking water generally remained stable during storage. Furthermore, no instances of organic contamination were detected in autoclaved water bottles stored for up to 22 d in unopened bags and only one instance was detected in bottles stored for up to 119 d in opened bags in a room with individually ventilated cages. On the basis of these findings, the acceptable storage period for autoclaved water bottles in opened bags at the authors' facility was extended to 21 d.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory Animal Resource Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN.
authors.forename: Jessica L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Peveler
authors.affiliation: Laboratory Animal Resource Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN.
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Crisler
authors.affiliation: Laboratory Animal Resource Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN.
authors.forename: Deb
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hickman
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D000830:Animals, Laboratory; D060766:Drinking Water / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D051379:Mice; D051381:Rats; D013242:Sterilization / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D060753:Water Quality
chemical_list: D060766:Drinking Water; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate