Follow the link to access and download the Equipment list and its read me file
The Faecal Sludge Field Laboratory is an open-source development. It can be sourced either from Butyl Products Ltd. or procured independently. The current development team is not connected to or funded by any company.
All equipment necessary for procurement and assembly of the Faecal Sludge Field Laboratory (FSFL) and the Training Laboratory add-on module is specified in the Equipment list.
This list includes the equipment needed for the operation of the laboratory and supplies for the analysis of 150 samples. The laboratory’s endurance with consumables for 150 samples strongly depends on the number of treatment plants to be samples (analysis of each treatment plant normally requires one influent and two effluent samples). Consumables of parameters might be used up at different speeds, because e.g. COD is analysed more often then Salmonella.
Furthermore, equipment and supplies are defined, which should not be shipped from abroad, but procured locally during the set-up of the FSFL. For consumables, the expected local availability has been estimated and it has been defined if it needs to be included in a resupply package.
In the equipment list, most hardware is specified in a generic way. The idea was to specify which requirements need to be met by the equipment. However, to ease procurement there is also a specific product example in the list for most pieces of equipment. No involved party does endorse any vendor, company or specific product. For instance, in the FSFL, a camping fridge is used for storage of samples and chemicals. As long as the requirements (gas absorber fridge with additional 12 V plug) are met, it does not matter if the exemplary fridge is procured, or any other.
In a few cases, specific hardware is listed (e.g. MiniFlotac disks for detection of helminth eggs in samples). In these cases, the analytical methodology was specifically developed with this hardware in mind and the equipment was field-tested.
The equipment list covers the equipment for the Field laboratory (the FSFL, this is the deployment laboratory) and the FSFL Training laboratory add-on module.
Training Laboratory Add-On Module
This an add-on mondule to the FSFL and provides equipment which is needed to allow training of larger groups of laboratory technicians. The add-on module should allow the simultaneous training of 5 laboratory technicians with each method.
For example in the deployment version of the FSFL there is ONE microscopic helminth egg detection using MiniFlotac disks. While one microscope is enough for the day to day work, it is not enough during a training. The Training Laboratory Add-On Module adds another TWO microscopes. With a total of 3 microscopes the training of 5 laboratory technicians is easily possible.
For a stationary training laboratory (Faecal Sludge Field Laboratory together with the Training Laboratory add-on module) with only a few trainings planned per year, the consumables included in the FSFL are too many. In this case, it is recommend procuring a smaller amount of the needed consumables. Examples a) do not buy the package with 150 COD tests, but buy the package with 25 tests; b) do not buy 10 kg Zinc sulphate heptahydrate, but only 1 kg.
Explanation of the Equipment list
| Equipment list column | Comment |
|---|---|
| Product Name | Generic name for the used equipment, with some specifications (e.g. Bottle, 500 mL, screw cap) |
| Laboratory Module | To allow greater flexibility the FSFL and the training laboratory add-on are sub-divided in 6 modules, which are explained in detail in the Laboratory Technicians Manual and on faecalsludgefieldlaboratory.com |
| Parameter class | Umbrella category to subsume similar analytical methods (e.g. all methods needed for bacteriological analysis) |
| Parameter | specifies the equipment needed for the analysis of a single parameter or method (e.g. the parameter class “bacteriological analysis” has the following parameters: Stock & working solution, Plating & Counting) |
| Specifications | f needed more detailed specifications for the product (e.g. Necessary: 500 mL volume, Polypropylene (PP), screw cap, wide mouth, autoclaveable, resistant to chemicals, highly transparent and without colour, Preferable: engraved grading) Necessary: these specifications have to be met for the product to be used in the FSFL Preferable: additional nice-to-have qualities |
| Alternatives | Gives details on possible alternative products |
| Unit | |
| Quantity field laboratory | recommended quantity for the FSFL for the analysis of 150 samples |
| Quantity training laboratory add-on module | recommended quantity for the Training Laboratory add-on module |
| Dangerous good | Yes/No. Interesting fact for logistics |
| Consumable or equipment | specifies if product is a consumable (to be replenished) or equipment |
| Initial shipment | Specifies which equipment needs to be shipped from abroad (e.g. photometer), which equipment needs to be locally procured (e.g. kitchen salt, technical alcohol) and which equipment is shipped as a starting quantity to allow rapid set-up of the laboratory and needs to be replenished (e.g. examination gloves) |
| Expected local availability | Rough estimation if equipment should be locally (in a large/university town) available. |
| Resupply package | Equipment which needs to shipped from abroad for resupply |
| Expiration date | Specifies if product has a expiration date |
| Producer | Producer of the exemplary equipment |
| Product name at producer | Precise name of product at the supplier’s homepage |
| Supplier | Exemplary supplier for the chosen product |
| Order number | |
| Rationale of the item | More detailed rational, if a specific piece of equipment is recommended |
| Link | Link to the suppliers homepage |
| Note | Any additional notes to the product |