Water, the most commonly used reagent/solvent, is one of the simplest compounds, yet it is also one of the most complex. There are many different types of contaminants found in water: inorganics, like magnesium and calcium; microorganisms; and suspended particles.

Many techniques are used to remove impurities from water. The oldest and most basic method is distillation, in which water is heated to boiling and the vapor is condensed back into its liquid form. Types of filtration, another common method, includes carbon adsorption, microfiltration, ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis. Ultraviolet (UV) light is also effective for sanitizing water. The adsorption of UV light by the DNA of micro-organisms renders them inactive. Deionization, the most widely accepted method for producing high-purity water, removes ionic contaminates through the use of cationic and anionic exchange resins.

Efficient and economic water purification systems integrate these techniques (with the exception of distillation) into different configurations to satisfy the demands of a variety of laboratories. Applications for purified water include chemical/biochemical reagent production, cell culture and microbial medial preparation, and eluent composition for use in analytical instruments such as HPLC or ICP-MS systems. Water quality standards for different applications are determined by organizations such as the United States Pharmacopeia and the European Pharmacopeia, among others. The purity of water is classified as Type I, Type II or Type III, under which Type I, ultrapure water, is the highest grade.

Thermo Fisher Scientific is a leading vendor of water purification systems. The company manufactures systems for all levels of water, including the Barnstead Nanopure system. Millipore is also a strong competitor in the market. The company’s Milli-Q Integral water purification system is designed to produce both pressurized pure and ultrapure water from tap water for use as a solvent in a variety of analytical techniques. ELGA LabWater, part of Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies, is another major vendor and sells the PURELAB and CENTRALAB line of laboratory water purifiers for all segments of water purification. In addition, ELGA also manufactures the MEDICA and BIOPURE series designed for use by the clinical and healthcare industries. Other companies involved in the water purification market include Yamato Scientific, Labconco and Sanyo Biomedical.

The laboratory water purification market has experienced consolidation in recent years, resulting in market dominance by a handful of vendors. The market is expected to post solid growth fueled by initial system sales, particularly in Asia Pacific. Increased governance by various regulatory bodies is also expected to play a role in the development of more sophisticated systems that will ultimately contribute to the market’s growth.

Laboratory Water Purifiers at a Glance:

Leading Suppliers

• Thermo Fisher Scientific

• Millipore

• ELGA LabWater

Largest Markets

• Pharmaceutical

• Biotechnology

• CROs

Instrument Cost

• $1,500–$20,000