Bioluminescent assay of microbial contamination on textile materials

Growth of microorganisms on textile substrates may be assessed by the firefly bioluminescent assay of adenosine triphosphate (A TP). A British Standard test for determination of the resistance of textiles to microbiological deterioration (BS6085:1981) was conducted to compare the stages in the development of textile spoilage assessed visually, with microbial activity on the textile expressed in terms of A TP concentrations.