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H2O – two simple elements, oxygen (O) and hydrogen (H), fuse together to form one of the most important molecules in the world: water. Water is everywhere on Earth and it is vital for our health and survival.
It often contains other ions like calcium, magnesium, and chloride which are essential for the human body to function. However, in specific situations, ultrapure water (UPW) is needed to prepare e.g., injections or other solutions used in hospitals. How is the quality of UPW ensured so that it is always suitable for such medical purposes? The answer to this comes from USP <645>. This standard explains how the water quality can be determined and how this analysis must be performed.
Instruments
For this analysis, a measuring device capable of measuring the conductivity and the pH value is required. If a combined device is not available, then using two separate ones is also fine. Then, a pH electrode that is especially suitable for the determination of the pH value of water and a conductivity cell for measurement of low conductivities is necessary. In this case, the Aquatrode plus and the stainless steel conductivity cell are recommended.
Figure left:
The Aquatrode plus responds very quickly in ion-deficient matrices (such as ultrapure water) and thanks to its double junction system, the bridge electrolyte can be chosen freely.
Figure right:
The stainless steel conductivity cell has been specially designed for measurements in samples with low conductivity. With a cell constant of c = 0.1 cm-1, it is ideal for conductivities ranging from 0–300 µS/cm. The built-in temperature sensor makes handling even easier as no additional sensor is needed for the temperature measurement.
USP <645> procedure
Now that the necessary instrumentation has been introduced, it’s time to take a look at the standard procedure itself. At first glance this looks a bit difficult as it is a three-step analysis, or actually a four-step analysis if you count the calibration as well.
Step 1: First, calibrate the pH electrode and the stainless steel conductivity cell (sensor). The pH electrode is calibrated with pH 4 and 7 solutions, whereas the stainless steel sensor is calibrated with a 100 µS/cm standard.
Find the standard solutions you need here:
Step 2: After calibrating the sensors, both the temperature of the water and the conductivity are measured without temperature compensation. If the measured conductivity is lower than the value mentioned in the table of USP <645>, then the requirement for the conductivity is met and the water can be used for medical purposes. If this is not the case, then step 3 must be performed.
Step 3: 100 mL water is transferred to an external titration vessel where its temperature is adjusted to 25 ± 1 °C. The water is stirred vigorously to incorporate carbon dioxide present in the air. If the conductivity does not change by more than 0.1 µS/cm per 5 minutes, the value is noted for further evaluation. If this value is below 2.1 µS/cm, then the water is usable for medical purposes. If not, then proceed with step 4.
Step 4: The solution is tempered to 25 ± 1 °C. Once the temperature is stable, 0.3 mL of saturated KCl solution is added and the pH of the water is measured. The pH value must lie between pH 5 and 7. If this is not the case, the water does not meet the requirements and must be discarded. If the pH is measured between 5 and 7, then the conductivity must additionally be lower as mentioned in the USP <645> table. If this is the case, the analysis passes and the water can be used for medical purposes.
Automation of USP <645>
The analysis can be quite time-consuming and therefore Metrohm has provided a solution to make this process much easier. Our system combines all of these steps into one method, allowing you to perform walk-away automation and focus on more important tasks.
To expand the capabilities of the measuring system, the 856/867 modules can be exchanged with a modular OMNIS Titrator which can also be used for other standard potentiometric titrations.
Take a closer look at our automated analysis solution
- Aquatrode plus for accurate pH measurement in ion-deficient matrices
- Stainless steel conductivity cell for low conducting samples
- Special holder for performing step 2 of the standard procedure
- Thermostated vessel (for step 2)
- DIS-Cover lid to prevent the sample from CO2 uptake (before step 3)
- Rod stirrer to saturate the solution with carbon dioxide (for step 3)
Conclusion
With this complete system, standard analysis of UPW quality according to USP <645> is performed in a fully automatic and reliable manner. At the end of each analysis a clear message is received if the deionized water (UPW) has passed the test or not. Handling is very easy and allows users to check if an analysis passes or not with just a glance.
Your knowledge take-aways
Automatic conductmetry in water samples with low electrical conductivity in accordance with USP<645>
