Top List: Tips for Maintaining Water Purity in the Lab - SelectScience
14 Apr 2015 Water is an essential component to many lab applications, and most of us will use it all the time, from diluting sensitive samples and preparing media, to cleaning laboratory equipment. Tap water, however, can contain many impurities and contaminants that may impact the accuracy of resulting data. Laboratory water purity levels have been classified by numerous professional organizations, and they all have similar parameters for the maximum contaminant levels permitted. For example, the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) International classifies water on its level of purity, ranging from Type 1-4. Understanding these purity levels is critical to selecting the right type of water to meet the needs of a specific application. Type 1 or 'ultrapure' water has the lowest levels of all ions, particulates, pyrogens, and bacteria, making it optimal for highly sensitive techniques. For less critical applications such as rinsing and media preparation, Type 2 ...