Test Types

With global competition to distribute highly known brands and product types, it is important to understand product testing and the different testing options available to improve product performance, quality and image.

For over 50 years, product testing standards have been used for industrial materials and consumer products.  Consumer and industrial products undergo product testing for a variety of purposes including but not limited to, Quality Control testing, Product Development, Product Performance, and evaluating Long Term Durability.

Knowing which test method to choose, for which type of product and under which circumstances, can make a difference in bringing an antimicrobial product or application to market. With harmonized methods, there are often several choices for the same product type or market.

Global organizations such as AATCC, ASTM, ISO, JIS, MIL-STD, and OECD have developed and harmonized standards for use in nearly all markets. Often used in multiple markets and industrial sectors, these test methods are recognized and accepted throughout the world as a demonstration of a product’s antimicrobial performance, ability to biodegrade, or a product’s impact on the surrounding environment.

Antimicrobial testing provides data on the performance of a product against microbial contamination and can evaluate antimicrobial performance over time or at a specific time point.

Biodegradability testing tests a material or products ability to biodegrade and can be tested by different test methods for Solid and Liquid materials, as well as aerobic and anaerobic biodegradation.

Standard Analytical test methods analytically evaluate a material’s chemical and physical properties and can analyze a material’s composition, as well as its ability to persist in the surrounding environment.

Toxicology testing further evaluates a material’s toxicological affects on living organisms such as algae, cyanobacteria, daphnia, oligochaete, fish and other small aquatic organisms.

OECD is a globally recognized organization and regulatory agency that has standardized methods for Analytical Analysis, Toxicology, and Biodegradability testing; all common requirements in order to make claims that a material or product is environmentally acceptable.

It is highly recommended to review testing requirements with the appropriate regulatory agency prior to testing and making product claims.

For more information about which type of testing may be best suited for your product, contact our Product Testing Laboratory at 847-483-9950 or info@situtest.com.