This test enables the zebra mussel to be detected even before there is visible colonization and to assess the prevention and containment programs’ effectiveness

Laboratorios Tecnológicos de Levante has recently obtained the first ENAC accreditation for collecting environmental DNA samples in surface water systems, and for subsequently detecting and quantifying the zebra mussel using the RT-PCR test from environmental DNA.

This test detects the species by searching for its genetic material in the studied water, thereby enabling the zebra mussel to be identified even before there is visible colonization, in addition to helping to monitor invasive populations and to assess the prevention and containment programs’ effectiveness.

The zebra mussel is an invasive species that significantly impacts the environment by altering ecosystems and displacing native fauna. It also causes significant damage to infrastructure related to water intake and distribution, among other facilities.

For this reason, it is essential to carry out rigorous monitoring in areas already invaded and to control the bodies of water that may be affected. Detecting its presence in time enables the most effective prevention and control measures to be applied to limit its spread and minimize its effects.

With this accreditation, Laboratorios Tecnológicos de Levante has demonstrated that it has the necessary technical competence to carry out this sampling and these tests, and to issue reliable results, providing confidence in their actions to control this invasive species.