WATER PURIFICATION
WATER PURIFICATION
• We all need clean water, water that is free of
potentially dangerous contaminants.
• For our homes we need basic clean and
sanitary water. Water that can be used for
cooking, cleaning and bathing. Water that
meets or exceeds the purity standards of our
local governments. For bio-pharmaceutical
uses, the water used must meet a much
higher standard.
WATER PURIFICATION
• Bio-pharmaceutical manufacturing uses
“Water For Injection” (WFI). WFI is
considered to be 100% water. This water is
free of sediment, minerals, and organic
contamination.
• WFI is typically contained in stainless steel
systems, heated to temperatures just below
boiling, and pumped through systems to the
point of use that will not allow dead zones
where the water does not circulate.
WATER PURIFICATION
• WFI is used to clean water resistant
manufactured medical equipment such as
syringes. Under high pressure it is sprayed on
this equipment, used to soak it, and injected
into the internal parts of the equipment.
WATER PURIFICATION
• In our homes we might have a sediment filter to
remove fairly large particles suspended in the
water. Our cars have a sediment filters for oil.
Photograph from Wiki Media Commons
• Sediment filters for water typically use a cloth or
paper filter cartridge. As the water flows through
large sediment particles are removed from the
water. Sediment removal is frequently the first
step in making WFI.
WATER PURIFICATION
• If the water coming into our homes was to be
used to make WFI and has some unwanted
biologic residue, chlorine, or a foul odor then
a second filter is added. The second filter will
be activated charcoal.
Activated charcoal will not
remove sodium fluoride or
nitrates.
Photograph from Wiki Media Commons
WATER PURIFICATION
Typically the two canisters for the filters
are connected in simple series. Filter
canisters used in our homes are small; a few
inches in diameter and less than a foot long.
Those used in WFI production
for bio-pharmaceutical
manufacturing are much larger.
Photograph from Wiki Media Commons
WATER PURIFICATION
• Some locations have water very high in
mineral content. These locations will add an
ion exchange filter to their series of filters.
These beads are made of plastic
resin and can be charged to
attract specific ions.
Photograph from Wiki Media Commons
WATER PURIFICATION
• A water softener is an ion exchange filter to
remove scale producing calcium and
magnesium from water.
• Water softeners use special resin( small
plastic beads) that attract calcium and
magnesium ions.
• Water softeners cycle periodically to recharge;
they flush the residue with salt water to
remove (rinse away) unwanted ions. This rinse
water is discarded.
WATER PURIFICATION
• Another device that is added to water
purification systems in some homes and in
biopharmaceutical manufacturing plants is a
reverse osmosis filter.
• This device forces water to move against the
normal direction of osmosis through a semipermeable membrane. The reverse osmosis
requires high pressure to move water through
the filter.
WATER PURIFICATION
• Reverse osmosis removes bacteria, spores
and viruses from water.
• Water after being run through the reverse
osmosis membrane is very, very clean. The
water before the membrane will have a built
up of unwanted particles and must be cycled
(flushed out) periodically.
WATER PURIFICATION
WATER PURIFICATION
• In the production of water for injection for
bio-pharmaceutical manufacturing has an
additional stage, distillation.
• Distillation heats water to its boiling point,
creates vapor which passes through a cooling
system, and re-condenses back to liquid water.
Water after the distillation process is 100%
water.
WATER PURIFICATION
• Water for injection is kept at high
temperatures and is used for a very complete
cleaning of medical products. Any small
amount of remaining manufacturing residue
and biological contaminants are completely
cleaned from the product. The product is now
ready for clean-room packaging and sealing.
• Medical products, such as syringes, are
sterilized by gamma radiation after packaging.