Understanding The Role Of Autoclave Water In Hospitals And Laboratories

By Author: Jo Alelsto
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An autoclave is a laboratory or medical device where things are placed to be sterilized or disinfected. Take note that there are many ways to sterilize materials and sterilization is important for reasons we have known even back in school. Everything gets contaminated with microorganisms instantly and even exposure to air contaminates materials. At home there are different ways to disinfect objects and you have heard of the use of alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, and boiling water. Solutions previously mentioned are rather crude and do not guarantee the elimination of every kind of microorganism. Take note further that pathogenic bacteria and viruses have specific ways to resist simple methods of disinfection. In laboratories, boiling of water, for instance, does not ensure a hundred percent sterilization. Medical facilities and emergency rooms get regular exposure to infectious agents from patients with tuberculosis, pneumonia, and other diseases; hence, objects used to patients get a generous supply of infectious bacteria and viruses. These cannot be killed by conventional means and, in many instances, to eliminate these ...
... microorganisms thoroughly, more effective methods must be employed. Autoclaving is one. It uses high-temperature water or steam that is much hotter than boiling water. How is this achieved when water temperature never rises above 100˚C? The secret, as you have learned in high school physics, is to increase air pressure. The principle says that the higher the air pressure, the higher the boiling point of water goes. In autoclave devices, water can reach temperatures of more than 120˚C before boiling. This superheated water is quite effective in killing several disease causing bacteria, which are not killed through boiling and other ordinary means.

An autoclave is a sensitive device. For one, you cannot use any kind of water in it. While superheated water would be effective to kill pathogens, including any of those which are present in the water itself, the absence of microbes is not only the consideration. The presence of inorganic impurities in the water being used could pose long-term adverse effects to the device and the instruments placed in it. As a precaution, laboratory workers and hospital workers use pure laboratory water. Does it seem that there are too many classes or types of pure water? Indeed, water does exist in many versions. Even tap water is different from rain water in terms of solutes and contaminants present.

We refer to inorganic impurities as those dissolved solutes as mineral salts and colloidal particles. The latter would usually be removed during basic filtration process involving activated carbon and reverse osmosis. Salts, which are dispersed as ions, stay after conventional purification. Tap water does not taste salty but it does contain an appreciable amount of ions in it. In the long run, these ions get deposited on surfaces of glass wares and materials to form stains. In laboratory materials, this problem is regarded a major issue, which in order to be prevented, thorough measures must be observed. An autoclave machine wherein plain water is used will not last long as that one which uses deionized autoclave water.
Jo is an author and publisher for 'The-Water-Company.com' (http://www.the-water-company.com), a well-known UK based high quality water manufacturer for more than 30 years, supplying products such as deionized water and demineralized water to a wide range of customers in UK, Europe and all over the world. If you have a good quality autoclave water needs then take a look at The-Water-Company.com.