Laboratory water purifiers can meet stringent specifications for total organic carbon, and tell you so too
Total organic carbon (TOC) is a key parameter in ultrapure water for trace organic analysis and life sciences applications such as molecular biology, PCR and DNA sequencing.
Among the effects that trace organics can cause are: poor detection limits, poor reproducibility, coating of reactive surfaces, chemical interference, cell toxicity and encouragement of microbial growth.
For this reason TOC concentrations in laboratory water are often specified at very low levels - typically less than 5µg/l or even less than 2µg/l depending on the use.
Like other laboratory water purifiers, the Elga LabWater Purelab Ultra can meet these specifications.
Unlike other laboratory water purifiers, the Purelab Ultra model tells you that the water you are using actually meets these targets.
The key point is that to meet the specified TOC limits the TOC monitor must be able to provide a good indication of the TOC level in the water being dispensed and ensure that any breakthrough of organics is detected before the water is used.
For this reason, the Purelab Ultra Analytic and Genetic models come equipped with a full flow real-time in-line TOC analyser.
Elga LabWater's R and D manager, Paul Whitehead, has produced a guide to TOC measurement, called 'Why Monitor TOC in Ultrapure Water for Laboratories?', in which he explores the meaning of TOC and the value of TOC measurements.
The guide also presents results of comparative tests of a number of built-in TOC monitors, including the Elga TOC monitor that is fitted in the Purelab Ultra Genetic and Analytic purifiers.
These results demonstrate quite clearly that the only built-in TOC monitor available at present that consistently provides users with the information necessary to ensure that TOC limits are met consistently and continuously is the Elga TOC monitor in the Purelab Ultra.