Water treatment technologies, mimicking nature, operate based on the principle of removing inorganic and organic contaminants from water. These technologies play a crucial role in environmental sustainability, preserving ecosystems, ensuring the delivery of healthy water to future generations, and facilitating the return of purified water to natural resources.
In hospitals, water sourced from municipal networks serves various purposes, treatments, and processes. Therefore, different types of water are produced according to their intended use. Prior to the design of systems aimed at water treatment, analyses, tests, and measurements are conducted to ensure the protection of systems.
Tests Related to Water in Hospitals
- Measurement of wastewater
- Microbiological testing of drinking and utility water separately
- Testing of utility water systems
- Chemical testing of demineralized water
- Chemical testing of closed-loop heating and cooling water
- Biological and chemical testing of drinking water
Water quality is assessed and tested based on three main parameters: physical, chemical, and biological.
Following the analyses, water is subjected to pre-treatment, coagulation with flocculation, sedimentation with filtration, and disinfection processes to produce purified water. The design of water treatment technologies with units tailored to perform appropriate treatment is crucial for these stages.
Post-evaluation, water is subjected to processes including pre-treatment, coagulation with flocculation, sedimentation with filtration, and disinfection to produce pure water. It is imperative that water treatment technologies are designed with units tailored to perform appropriate treatment for these stages.
Quality Parameters for Hemodialysis Water Treatment Systems
Physical Parameters
- Turbidity: Measurement of the particle content in water.
- Temperature: Determination of water temperature is crucial.
- Taste and Odor: Evaluation of water's taste and odor characteristics.
Chemical Parameters
- pH: Indicates the acidic or alkaline nature of water.
- Dissolved Oxygen: Amount of oxygen present in water.
- Hardness: Content of calcium and magnesium ions in water.
- Ions: Concentration of various ions in water.
- Alkalinity: Indicates water's resistance to acidic properties.
- Chlorine: Amount of chlorine used for disinfection.
Biological Parameters
- Viruses, Bacteria, Microorganisms: Control of microorganisms and pathogens in water.
In places such as hemodialysis centers, laboratories, and sterilization units, there is a significant need for demineralized water. These facilities require high-quality water and steam.
Ultra Pure Water Analysis and Quality Parameters for Dialysis Treatments
Ultra pure water is defined as water in its purest form, free from contamination, microorganisms, salts, and excess ions and minerals.
In dialysis centers and hospitals treating kidney failure, the continuous provision of ultra pure water is essential for patients to sustain vital functions. The safety and success of hemodialysis and dialysis sessions depend on the ultra pure nature and quality of the water used in treatment.
Hospitals or dialysis centers can use between 4,000 and 6,000 liters of water per day for treatments, with 120-200 liters used per session. The amount of water used varies based on the duration and frequency of each session, as treatments differ according to the level of kidney failure in patients.
Dialysis machines filter patients' blood, removing harmful substances, excess salt, and fluid from the body. Ultra pure water comes into contact with the patient's blood in the "artificial kidney" or hemodialyzer section of the dialysis machine. Therefore, ultra pure water plays a vital role. After hemodialysis sessions, the ultra pure water used is safely disposed of through special medical waste systems. Water treatment devices continue to produce water for the next session, ensuring production is in accordance with standards and purpose.
Medical water treatment systems with CE certification and turnkey solutions provide reliability and excellent quality to RIVAMED customers. As a leading brand showcasing Turkey's domestic manufacturing prowess in the healthcare sector, RIVAMED designs hemodialysis water treatment machines specifically tailored to prioritize patients' health and safety, creating customized systems for ultra pure water production.
Removal of unwanted fluid accumulation in the body due to kidney failure varies according to patients' conditions. Therefore, medical water treatment systems designed with deionization, reverse osmosis, microfiltration, and carbon filtration units must perform with high efficiency.
Electrochemical Quality Parameters
Conductivity: Numerical expression of water's ability to conduct electricity due to the presence of ions. Conductivity is expressed in terms of ion purity. Resistance measurement is also performed as the inverse of conductivity. Drinking water and ultra pure water do not conduct electricity. Conductivity for Dialysis Machines: <5 μS/cm. According to ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) standards, the conductivity of dialysis water should be <25 μS/cm.
pH Value: Logarithmic measure indicating the acidic or alkaline state of water. Pure water maintains a balance of H+ and OH- ions with a value of 7. Extremely high or low pH values significantly affect water taste. pH value is an important measure in the corrosion effect of medical water treatment devices. It is measured using a pH sensor. pH > indicates an alkaline environment, while pH < indicates an acidic environment.
Hardness: Total content of calcium and magnesium ions in water. The presence of positively charged ionic minerals like calcium and magnesium makes water hard, adversely affecting human health. In Turkey, the French degree is used, with 1 F.s.d. equal to 10 mg CaCo3/L.
Hardness removal is achieved through ion exchange, one of the ion-exchange resin systems. The objective of softening systems, which are one of the ion-exchange resin systems, is to control positively charged ionic minerals, primarily calcium (Ca2+) and magnesium (Mg2+), present in water.
Ion exchange resin methods for water softening should be designed based on water characteristics. After analyses, the presence of ions in the water is determined, and the correct ion exchange resin systems for the system's specifications are identified.
| Very Hard: >300 |
Hard: 150-300 |
Moderately Hard: 75-150 |
Soft: 0-75 |
- Free Chlorine: Indicates the amount of free chlorine in water, determining the effectiveness of disinfection. Free chlorine should be eliminated after DI and RO processes.
Water Purity and Cleanliness Parameters
- Organic Matter: Detection of the presence of organic compounds. Particle Contamination: Measurement of the density and size of foreign particles. Chemical Contaminants
- Chloramines: Measurement of chloramine levels for disinfection processes. Other Chemical Contaminants: Detection of harmful chemicals such as heavy metals.
- Medical treatment processes utilize resins, membranes, microfiltration precision cartridges, activated carbon, sand filters, and sump system tanks.
Microbiological Parameters
- Endotoxin and Colony Count: Measurement of the number of bacteria and microorganisms. Additionally, detection of bacterial toxins. Ultraviolet, bacteria, ozonation, chlorination, and chlorite filters are used for purification.
Water Pressure and Flow Rate Parameters
Conducted to determine the pumping status of the system's water and the flow of water used during treatment.
For healthcare facilities to conduct dialysis treatments, medical water treatment devices must comply with the standards mandated by the Ministry of Health based on the conditions of the installation site.
- Turkish Pharmacopeia (TF) Standards
- AAMI (Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation) Standards
- TS EN ISO 23500
- USP (United States Pharmacopeia) Standards
- ISO 13959
- Dialysis Water Treatment Device Regulation (SGM/YG-2021/14)
- National and Regional Health Authority Standards
- EP (European Pharmacopoeia) Standards