Luminometer ATP Swab Surfaces

Hello, I have a 3M Clean Trace Luminometer. I'm currently establishing an RLU average for a variety of cleaned surface to see where we stand, however I keep getting thrown a hard ball in one of the values. When I test hard plastics and stainless steel, I get RLU values of approximately 8RLU---56RLU. However when I test our vacuum sealer (specifically the hard, grooved, plastic like plates inside of it), my RLU value is 15,010. The surface is clean and sanitized. Is it possible that this surface throws off the luminometer? I've heard that Hygiena products can have similar problems in regards to certain surfaces, specifically plastics. Any and all help/resources is greatly appreciated. Thank you, Eric 

Greetings Eric,

I think your problem is not related to surfaces but to the presence of detergents, sanitizers or other chemicals that affect your readings. Though it's an easy and fast method, unfortunately it is susceptible to the above mentioned parameter. Many providers claim that their products are "resistant" to the presence of chemicals but there are also quite a few studies around, if you do a little bibliography check, that suggest otherwise.

So if you are testing surfaces that you use x chemicals and surfaces that you use y chemicals or the same but in different concentrations or not at all, may be the reason for the readings you wrote about.

Hope it helps!

As Evans X mentioned above, sanitiser can affect RLU readings. I believe Hygiena recommend that swabbing is done before sanitiser for that reason.

Have you taken any environmental swabbing of the vacuum sealer? This could provide some clarity on whether it is an ATP-surface/sanitisation cause or whether there is indeed a genuine cleanliness issue