High Water Purity, Minimal Space: Compact Water Purification Systems for Modern Small Labs
Laboratories, both small and large, are facing many challenges at present, driven by regulatory, technological, and economic pressures. With intense competition for funding, accuracy and reproducibility have never been more important. This blog will discuss the role that compact water purification systems can play in helping labs deliver consistent results, the type of purification techniques used and the benefits of compact solutions for smaller labs.
No matter the size of the lab, maintaining high standards of water quality is essential for achieving accurate and reproducible results. There are many advantages to using traditional water purification systems, but they are not always practical for small labs. Conventional modular systems, such as those with water softeners, carbon filters, reverse osmosis, deionization cylinders, tanks, and pumps, etc., often require valuable space and are also quite complex to install. This challenge can be effectively addressed by compact water purification systems.
The role played by compact laboratory water purifications systems
Bench-top water purification systems however, conserve valuable bench and floor space, optimising the laboratory’s flow and organisation. The slimline design and compact dimensions make them ideal for bench tops, under benches, or on walls freeing up much needed bench space. With the ability to generate Type 1 & 2 water from a standard potable tap outlet, installation can be completed without the need to make major modifications on site.
These compact lab water purification systems offer ultrapure (Type I) to general-use water essential for laboratory testing and experiments. They not only come with the same security and benefits as their larger counterparts but also guarantee reliable research results, high reproducibility, and reliability for experiments, procedures, etc.
Purification techniques used in compact lab water purification systems
Although compact water purification systems differ in size from conventional lab water purification systems, they are nonetheless equipped with state-of-the-art purification technologies that offer exceptionally high-water quality. A number of advanced technologies are integrated into these systems, each focusing on a different type of contaminant, to ensure that a comprehensive system is in place:
1. Reverse Osmosis (RO):
RO serves as a robust first line of defence against impurities. RO systems filter out large particles, dissolved ions, and organic molecules through a semipermeable membrane. As a result, contaminants such as salts, minerals, and organic substances are reduced significantly, ensuring high water purity.
2. Deionisation (DI):
By removing ionic contaminants, DI systems improve the quality of water after RO purification. Ion exchange processes replace dissolved salts with hydrogen and hydroxide ions, resulting in water with high resistivity. Applications requiring extremely low ionic contents, like analytical chemistry and molecular biology, require this further purification step.
3. Ultraviolet (UV) Sterilisation:
Microbial contamination and organic compounds are addressed by UV sterilisation. Using UV light at specific wavelengths, this technology disrupts the DNA of microorganisms, rendering them inactive and incapable of reproducing. UV light also degrades organic contaminants, making the purified water sterile and safe for sensitive applications, such as cell culture and microbiology.
4. Ultrafiltration (UF):
Ultrafiltration removes particles and microorganisms by using fine membranes. UF technology targets bacteria, viruses, and endotoxins larger than a few nanometers. By removing biological contaminants, this filtration step improves the overall quality of water, which is especially important when ultrapure water with minimal microbial content is required.
With tight financial constraints, increased competition, and rigid quality requirements, compact water purification systems are a successful and practical solution for laboratories, where space is simply non-existent or the demand for lab grade water is not huge. By delivering high-quality purified water within a minimal footprint, these systems support the critical need for accuracy and reproducibility in research and testing.
Purite laboratory water purification systems
Purite has over 40 years of experience in water purification for labs and other applications. The desktop range of water purification solutions is ideal for budget-conscious and smaller labs and includes options for Type I ultrapure water and Type II deionised water. Purite systems are used by scientists, researchers, healthcare, industrial and process specialists around the world.
The Purite Fusion: combining reverse osmosis, deionisation, ultra-filtration and photo-oxidation in a compact, self-contained unit, this solution delivers dual quality water – Type I purified water to a consistent quality of 18MΩ.cm for clinical laboratory use and Type II for general lab use. Ideal for life sciences, such as histology, cell and tissue culture, DNA sequencing and IVF it is easy to set up and use.
The Purite Analyst: this tabletop unit provides Type II deionised water for clinical laboratory use. With water quality better than 1MΩ.cm, it is ideal for use with glassware rinsing, buffers and stains, reagent make-up and media preparation, ECO versions are available to enable 50% of the wastewater stream to be recovered.
The Purite HP: this benchtop unit delivers Type II deionised water for analyser feed. It produces purified water to a quality better than 10MΩ.cm and is used for applications such as HPLC, ion chromatography, atomic absorption and hydrogen generation. An ECO version with up to 50% water recovery is also available.
The Purite Purewater 300 Package: ideal for laboratory glassware washing machines and climatic cabinets, it provides rinse water to a purity of over 1MΩ.cm at a flow rate of up to 48 litres per hour. Simple to use and easy to maintain there are bench top or wall mounted versions available.
The Purite Neptune Ultimate: For clinical lab water that is Type I purified water to a consistent quality of 18.2MΩ.cm, this system is a self-contained unit that is ideal for the most challenging laboratory applications such as analytical and life sciences. The system automatically recirculates purified water, to maintain quality and features full data capture capabilities, for traceability, plus intelligent monitoring.
Contact us to discover how we can help you meet the water purification needs of your laboratory with our benchtop water purification systems.
