What is Purified water system? A Fundamental Introduction

Water is the most common and important Component, being used in the pharmaceutical industry. This is being widely used as a Input Raw material, ingredient and as solvent, purpose is also very vast in regards of its usage. Various sector of pharmaceutical manufacturing industry like Raw material manufacturing, intermediate manufacturing, API manufacturing and formulation intakes the water as a major commodity.

Figure: 01 Water for Pharmaceutical manufacturing Usage

As this component i.e. water is being used in the life saving drugs manufacturing so, cannot be used as such in raw condition.

In this regard this article will help us to understand the importance, requirement and purification process before usage of water in manufacturing. Article is framed as frequently ask questions (FAQs) with respect to the purified water system generation and requirements.

What are the difference types of water for usage in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

There are many grades of water being used in the Pharmaceutical industry as major component for manufacturing and cleaning operations. There are three grade of water is defined for pharmaceutical usage;

Figure: 02 Types of Water for Pharmaceutical manufacturing Usage

What is Non-potable water?

This grade of water is not covered under drinking water, however can be used for the other propose depending upon its quality like for housekeeping and cleaning of premises / factory. This type of water can be termed as Raw water.

What is Potable (drinkable) water?

Potable water generally known as drinking water. The source of the water can be there surface water or ground water which needs to be treated to levels that that meet state and federal standards for consumption as drinking water.

Can potable water be used for API manufacturing?

Potable water may be used during the manufacture of active substances and in the early stages of cleaning pharmaceutical manufacturing equipment unless there are specific technical or quality requirements for higher grades of water. (Reference)

What is purified water?

Purified water/Process water is water that has been mechanically filtered or processed to remove impurities and make it suitable for use in pharmaceutical industries. Such grade of water also known as “Pharmaceutical grade water”.

Water is further purified by other processes including deionization, reverse osmosis, carbon filtering, microfiltration, ultrafiltration, ultraviolet oxidation, or electro deionization.

Combinations of a number of these processes have come into use to produce Purified water/Process water of such high purity that its trace contaminants are measured in parts per billion (PPB) or parts per trillion (PPT). Purified Water also known as Deionized water.

What is flow of purified water system in the Pharmaceutical industry?

Below is the flow of water system in the pharmaceutical industry with the difference stages of Treatment to the input water i.e. Raw water / potable water.

Figure: 03 Operational Flow of Water for Purification

I Hope this article helped you to understand the very basic fundamental overview on the Pharmaceutical Purified water system. Further more details on the same topic sharing will be continued and keep in touch and keep learning….

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