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The Quiet Brilliance of Efficient Water Purification 

Impeccable Water Purification Systems Power the Lab With Minimal Staff Interaction

ELGA
Published:Aug 09, 2024
|3 min read
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What types of contaminants does a lab water purification system need to remove?

Antonino Di Bartolo

Since 2006 at Veolia, Antonino Di Bartolo has led a top team of service engineers in North America's clinical diagnostic industry. Di Bartolo now manages business and commercial activities across the Americas and serves as global account manager. He holds a master’s in economics from Venice University and an executive MBA from MIB Trieste School of Management.

A lab water purification system must remove ions, bacteria, and organic contaminants. Ensuring purity is critical in a clinical lab. If you’re looking for the presence of a specific chemical in blood or tissue, you need to be confident that you are detecting its presence in the sample, not background from contaminated water. False positives and inaccurate results can have a catastrophic impact on patients.


How can labs optimize their water purification process?

Water purification requires teamwork through a combination of people, technologies, and processes. Where people are involved, minimizing direct interaction with systems as much as possible and having operators monitoring water purification system status updates and interpreting readout should be sufficient. With decades of experience, manufacturers like ELGA LabWater can ensure the best unit tailored to the clinical work being done is being used in the lab. Paired with service engineers and support staff, these elements all form parts of the system that works as a synergistic whole.


How can labs ensure their water is high quality?

They must work with a manufacturer who is an expert leader in the field with an abundance of experience and accreditations such as ISO. This field is not one size fits all, and there are specific products for specific needs. Working with a trusted manufacturer ensures that if you follow the basic daily steps, your work and interactions are minimal, reducing maintenance and daily tasks required to keep your water purification system working.


How do ELGA LabWater water purification systems work?

There is a wide range of technologies available, and the secret is the right mix, in terms of specifications. We always start with a pre-treatment, which is basically removal of large, suspended compounds. One of these is chlorine, which is ironically naturally found in water and is removed with activated carbon. Then, the lab water is run through reverse osmosis, removing up to 97 percent of water contaminants. Treating the water this way, from an organic point of view, is a combination of photooxidation. Because bacteria remaining at this stage of purification are hardy, there is a final physical filter which works like a final barrier to ensure the water is as close as pure as possible.


How can manufacturers ensure pure water while adhering to sustainability goals?

Currently, zero environmental impact is not possible while producing lab-grade water. The priority is producing water that provides reliable results. The secondary focus is on minimizing environmental impact. ELGA LabWater facilities are close to net zero carbon footprint for our consumables, and they have minimized CO 2 released during manufacture. Our water purification systems minimize electricity usage compared to previous models, and we continue to look for ways in which materials, energy, and environmental impact can be reduced.