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Full Text Article - Millipore

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UV absorbance<br />

UV absorbance<br />

From tap to ultrapure water<br />

Using the water purification chain described<br />

previously, the various sampling points enable the<br />

organic decrease through the different water<br />

purification processes to be traced. The change in<br />

organic nature during water treatment does not allow<br />

direct contaminant identification.<br />

However, chromatogram profiles obtained, and<br />

especially at 214 nm, the more sensitive wavelength,<br />

highlight organic contamination removal through the<br />

purification stages (see Figure 8). This shows the<br />

importance of having a combination of technologies<br />

when producing ultrapure water from potable water.<br />

Conclusion<br />

0.050<br />

0.040<br />

0.030<br />

0.020<br />

0.010<br />

Milli-Q system water, 6 min after 6 hours<br />

0.000<br />

0.00 4.00 8.00 12.00 16.00<br />

Gradient Time (minutes)<br />

0.050<br />

0.040<br />

0.030<br />

0.020<br />

0.010<br />

214NM<br />

254NM<br />

Milli-Q system water, day 20<br />

214NM<br />

254NM<br />

0.000<br />

0.00 4.00 8.00 12.00 16.00<br />

Gradient Time (minutes)<br />

Figure 7: Ultrapure water baselines at 254 nm and 214 nm.<br />

The presence of impurities in the mobile phase, and<br />

especially in the purified water used for HPLC studies<br />

raises several issues:<br />

- These contaminants create peaks during gradient<br />

runs. This leads to problems with peak<br />

identification and peak quantitation.<br />

- The impurities contaminate and “kill” columns.<br />

- When solutions of standards are prepared with<br />

impurities contained in ultrapure water, inaccurate<br />

results are obtained for sample identification and<br />

quantitation.<br />

- Moreover, when preparative chromatography is<br />

performed, impurities in mobile phase and/or<br />

samples prepared, can contribute to contaminated<br />

fractions.<br />

A significant number of studies have shown the<br />

importance of water quality during HPLC analysis.<br />

Storage of high purity water is inadequate and<br />

inappropriate to obtain high quality baselines 11 .<br />

A.U. (254 nm)<br />

A.U. at 214 nm<br />

0.035<br />

0.030<br />

0.025<br />

0.020<br />

0.015<br />

0.010<br />

0.005<br />

0.000<br />

0.00 5.00 10.00 15.00 20.00<br />

0.035<br />

0.030<br />

0.025<br />

0.020<br />

0.015<br />

0.010<br />

0.005<br />

Time (minutes)<br />

Figure 8: From tap to ultrapure water, chromatographic profiles at<br />

254 nm (top) and 214 nm (bottom) (1 ml injected (Tap and RO)<br />

or 50 ml accumulated (EDI, reservoir and Milli-Q) on the<br />

C18 column).<br />

More and more sensitive detection methods are<br />

being coupled to HPLC in order to improve detection<br />

limits 12,13,14 .<br />

The mobile phase in RP-HPLC generally contains a<br />

“buffer” component, an organic modifier and, often,<br />

an ion pairing agent added to the mobile phase to<br />

influence selectivity. All solvents, buffering salts, ion<br />

pairing agents, as well as the water used to prepare<br />

the mobile phases, must be of high chemical purity.<br />

A water purification chain combining multiple<br />

technologies such as electrodeionization<br />

pretreatment, UV photooxidation and high quality<br />

purification media, and ensuring easy maintenance<br />

with automatic rinsing and flushing capabilities,<br />

delivers ultrapure water suitable for high sensitivity<br />

organic analyses. Additionally, the use of an<br />

ultrapure water system with on line TOC (Total<br />

Organic Carbon) analysis is the best way to monitor<br />

these organic contaminants at the point-of-use 15 .<br />

Tap<br />

RO<br />

EDI<br />

Reservoir<br />

Milli-Q<br />

0.000<br />

0.00 2.00 4.00 6.00 8.00 10.00 12.00 14.00 16.00<br />

Time (minutes)<br />

Tap<br />

RO<br />

EDI<br />

Reservoir<br />

Milli-Q<br />

The R&D Notebook: From tap to ultrapure water: tracking organic contaminants<br />

5

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