Laboratory testing demands highly controlled water quality. An “average” water sample is often unsuitable because dissolved ions, trace organic compounds, residual chloramines, and sub-visible microbial contamination can negatively affect experimental accuracy. Many of these contaminants are present at extremely low concentrations and cannot be detected without specialized analytical equipment.
Flier’s engineers design customized reverse osmosis systems for laboratories to match the required water purity grade and daily water demand. Each system is engineered to provide consistent feed water quality, helping laboratories achieve reliable and repeatable test results.
According to ASTM D1193 standards, laboratory-grade water is classified into several purity levels. The three most commonly used grades are Type I, Type II, and Type III.
Type III water is typically used for:
General laboratory rinsing
Glassware washing
Feed water for higher-purity treatment systems
Type II water is commonly used for:
Laboratory analytical testing
Reagent preparation
Clinical laboratory applications
General laboratory procedures
Type I water is the highest purity laboratory water available. It requires a resistivity of 18.2 MΩ·cm at 25°C and is often optimized for ultra-low total organic carbon (TOC), with many laboratories targeting less than 10 ppb TOC.
Type I water is essential for applications such as:
High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)
Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS)
Mammalian cell culture
Molecular biology
Highly sensitive analytical testing
Reverse osmosis for laboratories is commonly used as the primary pretreatment stage when producing Type I laboratory water.
A properly designed RO system can typically achieve:
95–99% ionic rejection
Significant reduction in bacterial load
Lower organic contaminant levels
Improved feed water consistency for polishing systems
For applications requiring Type I laboratory water, Flier’s Quality Water Systems integrates reverse osmosis with additional polishing technologies, including deionization, UV oxidation, and ultrafiltration, to deliver a complete engineered purification solution.
In many cases, yes.
A functioning laboratory reverse osmosis system can often be upgraded from producing Type II water to Type I water by adding polishing components such as:
Mixed-bed deionization
UV oxidation for TOC reduction
Ultrafiltration
Before recommending an upgrade, Flier’s evaluates membrane condition, current water purity, feed water quality, and system age to determine the most practical and cost-effective solution.
Laboratory reverse osmosis systems require much more than simply meeting daily water production capacity.
A properly engineered laboratory RO system considers:
Storage tank turnover rates to reduce microbial growth
Stable pressure at instrument point-of-use
Peak demand from multiple simultaneous users
Water purity requirements for specific laboratory applications
Flier’s engineers evaluate all of these factors before recommending an appropriately sized system.
Total Organic Carbon (TOC) measures the amount of dissolved carbon-containing organic compounds remaining in purified water.
These contaminants may include:
Residual solvents
Microbial by-products
Organic compounds leached from piping or equipment
Degradation products from system components
Even TOC concentrations below 1 ppb can interfere with sensitive laboratory applications by:
Affecting ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy baselines
Inhibiting cell growth
Introducing variability into reagent preparation
Reducing analytical accuracy
Maintaining ultra-low TOC levels is therefore critical for laboratories performing high-precision analytical and research work.
