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,
• 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 :

a.sprayed on equipment
b.soak it,
c.injected into the internal parts of the
equipment.
 WATER PURIFICATION
 Sediment filter -to remove fairly large particles
suspended in the water.

 Sediment filters for water typically use:

a. cloth
b.or paper filter cartridge.

Sediment removal is frequently the

first step in making WFI.

Photograph from Wiki Media Commons

 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
- magnesium
 Water softeners use special resin (e.g. zeolite)

 Water softeners cycle periodically to recharge;

they flush the residue with salt water to remove
(rinse away) unwanted ions.
 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 semi-
permeable membrane. The reverse osmosis
requires high pressure to move water through
the filter.
 WATER PURIFICATION
 Reverse osmosis removes :

-bacteria,
-spores
-viruses
 Water after being run through the reverse
osmosis membrane is very, very clean.
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.
 Medical products, such as syringes, are
sterilized by gamma radiation after packaging.
 Boiling
 Equipment/Skill Required:

• Water container
• Intense heat – fuel (wood, gas, etc)
– Preferably a fuel efficient stove
• Must be able to produce heat
 Process:
• Water should be placed in a container and heated until boiling.
• The water should be allowed to boil for at least 10 minutes.
 Boiling
• Advantages

– Simple and effective method of purification

– Will kill many waterborne bacteria through the intense heat
– Uses local available materials

• Disadvantages
-Can sometimes be difficult, time consuming, and cost inefficient
because of the high volume of fuel used
– Will not remove mud from ‘murky’ water
– Will not remove suspended or dissolved compounds
 Sunlight Exposure
 Equipment/Skill Required:

• Disposable clear plastic bottles (glass bottles -do not let

enough sunlight into the water)
• Bright sunlight

 Process:
Fill a clean bottle, leaving a quarter empty.
• Put the top on and shake the bottle for 20 seconds.
• The bottled should then be left in sunlight
for one day
In the rainy season, paint one side of the bottle black.
This will increase the water temperature quicker.
 Sunlight Exposure
 Advantages:

• Kills harmful bacteria and pathogens

• Simple, convenient and inexpensive
• If used correctly, the water is as clean as boiled
water
• Will not change the taste of water

 Disadvantages:

• Will not remove mud from ‘murky’ water

• A 6-12 hour waiting period
 Chlorination
 Equipment/skill required:

• Household bleach
• Water vessel
• Stirrer
• Clearest water possible

 Process:

• Boil the water for 5 minutes

• Add the bleach to water.
• Stir thoroughly.
• Let it stand for at least 30 minutes.
 Chlorination
 Advantages:

• Easy to use method of chemical purification of water

• Effective at killing bacteria and viruses
• Inexpensive

 Disadvantages:

• Not effective at killing all parasites.

• Complex compounds can form with organic material
which over time can be hazardous to health.
• It is best to use the water in a shorter period of time and
store it in a plastic container in a cool and shaded place.
 Coagulation and Flocculation
 Equipment/skill required:
• A coagulant (ex. aluminium sulphate)
• Some skill/training
• 2 vessels
• Stirrer
• Filter – a cloth

 Process:
• Add a coagulant to water and stir rapidly.
• The formed flocs clean the water by attracting pathogens and other
microorganisms.
• Remove the flocs using filtration and be careful to not re-contaminate the
water.
 Coagulation and Flocculation
 Advantages:
• Proven reduction of viruses, bacteria, protozoa
• Pesticide and heavy metal removal
• Simple technology and use

 Disadvantages:
• May be toxic if used improperly
• Could be more expensive and complicated than other
methods due to increased number of required materials
and skill
• Requires multiple steps
 Filtration -Straining
 Equipment/skill required:
• Porous barrier: cost and efficiency depends on the barrier:
clean woven fibers (cotton cloth, linen, others) Moringa tree
seed press cake, ceramic filter
• Water vessel

 Process:
• Fix the barrier on top of the water vessel.
• If using cloth it should be folded 4-8 times to create a thicker
barrier.
• Pour water through the barrier into the vessel, trapping solids
and particles on top of the barrier.
 Settling
 Letting water collected during the day settle over night can be an effective
way of improving the clearness of water by reducing turbidity (very murky
water) and is a cheap alternative to sand filtering.
 However you must leave undisturbed for a sufficient period of time (at
least 10 hours), out of sunlight (at night), in a sealed container is best.
 Warning: Must be used in conjunction with Filtering. This is only a
4 5 6

pre-treatment to make Filtering more effective!! . . .

Resources courtesy of Health Education to Villagers, http://hetv.org/resources/safewater/manual/ch_5.htm#figure_5

 Filtering Water with Cloth
1. 2. 3. 4.

5. 6. 7. 8.

Resources courtesy of Health Education to Villagers, http://hetv.org/resources/safewater/manual/ch_5.htm#figure_5

Filtration -Straining
 Filtration -Straining
 Advantages:
• Cost effective
• Immediate access to water
• Filters out all particles that are larger than the pores in the barrier
• Can be cleaned and reused
• Does not alter taste of water

 Disadvantages:
• Does not guarantee removal of all virus particles and infectious
contaminants, chemicals, pollutants, chemicals and poor tastes
• Should not be used as a sole purification method
 Three-Pot Treatment
 Equipment/skill required:

• 3 water vessels/pots for processing; 1 for collection of dirty water and 1 for
collection of clean water
• if possible - a flexible pipe to siphon water as it disturbs sediment less than
pouring
• if possible - a cloth or any filtration barrier

 Process:

• Pour water into the first pot (pouring it through cloth increases efficiency).
• Let the water settle for as many hours as possible – a length of just one day can
kill of more than 50% of most bacteria.
• Pour water into a second pot, let it settle again.
• Then pour into the third pot and let it settle again.
• Drinking water is drawn from the third pot only.
Three-Pot Treatment
 Three-Pot Treatment
 Advantages:
• Cost effective
• Easy to use and maintain
• Bacterial contamination levels decrease through
settlement and over time

 Disadvantages:
• Does not guarantee complete removal of some bacteria
and micro-organisms
• Could take a few days to treat water