Public Lab Research note


How do you make sterile water from bottled water?

by bryanchua | December 17, 2018 23:49 17 Dec 23:49 | #17962 | #17962

Hi everyone,

Does anyone have any ideas on what kind of low-cost and portable water purification system would be appropriate for turning bottled water into sterile water for injection? I would love to hear your thoughts!


3 Comments

One item tried in industry was to take good quality water and run them through filters small enough to stop microbes ( the last I heard, about 0.2 microns, but it Could have gone smaller). This was sold as a time saver over the normal approach. But it didn't work. Might be a viable approach , if you weren't in a hurry.

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@Ag8n Thanks for the suggestion to use nanofiltration! I think the main impurities are the electrolytes (e.g. K+ and Na+ ions) that are added into bottled water for taste. Do you know what water purification method works best for removing them? I am thinking along the lines of some kind of low-cost ion exchange system, but am not sure what specifically.

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Yes, ion exchange is a good idea. Usually, it's cation exchange, anion exchange, and actived charcoal, followed by the particle filter. A conductivity meter usually follows as a sanity check. You have to do testing per appropriate sections of the USP/ISO for sterile water and/ or purified water. Plus testing for the solution. Anything you can do to extend the life of the ion exchange will save money!

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