In July 2016, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency published its updated list of Alternate Test Protocols (ATP) under the Safe Drinking Water Act — and for the first time in the program's history, an enzyme-based method made the list. NECi Superior Enzymes' nitrate test method is now approved for primary contaminant reporting, replacing toxic cadmium with safer, more accurate biotechnology.
A Historic First for Enzyme-Based Testing
Nitrate is one of only sixteen inorganic ions on the EPA's Primary Contaminants list. Excess nitrate in drinking water is dangerous for infants and harmful to people and livestock. The EPA holds methods to a high standard before permitting them for public health reporting — which makes this approval a significant milestone. NECi's method is the first enzyme-based method ever permitted for measurement of any primary contaminant under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
"We are proud to be revolutionaries in advancing new methods for the protection of environmental health and safety." — Ellen Campbell, CEO, NECi Superior Enzymes
The Science Behind the Method
NECi's methods are built on enzymes — the proteins that drive chemical reactions in living systems. Enzymes work with extraordinary precision under gentle conditions, making them ideal analytical tools. NECi's co-founder and chief scientist, Dr. W.H. Campbell, emeritus professor at Michigan Technological University, has spent 40 years in protein biotechnology advancing the science that makes commercial enzyme products possible.
In addition to its accuracy and sensitivity, NECi's nitrate test method is safer for lab technicians and dramatically reduces hazardous waste compared to the cadmium-based methods it replaces.
Validated, Approved, and Ready for the Field
The 2016 ATP approval covers use with discrete analyzers — the automated lab instruments widely used in regulated testing environments. The method has also been independently validated by the U.S. Geological Survey and ASTM International. NECi offers formats for a wide range of applications beyond discrete analyzers, including simplified test kits for field and laboratory use.
Full approval for Clean Water Act compliance monitoring followed in 2017, further cementing the enzymatic method as a mainstream option for regulated labs. View the full list of EPA-approved drinking water analytical methods on the EPA website.
The method has also been independently validated by the U.S. Geological Survey (Methods I-2547-11 and I-2548-11) and ASTM International (Method D7781).
About NECi Superior Enzymes
NECi Superior Enzymes was founded in 1993 in Lake Linden, Michigan, with a mission to bring biotechnology out of the university and into the world of analytical chemistry — the science that keeps our water, air, and food clean and safe. NECi's work has been supported by Small Business Innovation Research programs of the USDA, NIH, and NSF.
