LYCEANS’ TRAIL: Water: Invisible Resource with an Impact Visible Everywhere
by: Christine Grace A. Encenzo, 2nd Year BS Medical Technology
Since 1993, the 22nd of March has been celebrated as the World Water Day to commemorate the importance of water and to contribute in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6—providing universal access to clean drinking water and sanitation by 2030.
In the sphere of health care, water plays a significant role in the efficacy of the healthcare industry. From cleaning laboratory instruments and equipment to providing a soothing environment for patients receiving hydrotherapy, all of that thanks to excellent water work. Due to the water’s binding nature in clinical laboratories, all science-based organizations were required to guide worldwide and national agencies in establishing water quality standards for various purposes. As a result, water testing is essential to guarantee that the water is of high quality and eliminate the possibility of introduced contaminants. Examples include temperature testing, pH testing, chloride testing, salinity testing, dissolved oxygen testing, and many more.
Want to know how Medical Technologists do it? Follow these simple steps that can be done at home using test strips, which will determine the present contaminant or chemical in the water!
Photo courtesy of Safewise
- Identify which water source to test.
- Fill the test container.
- Take the strip out of the water.
- Decide which contaminants to test.
- Calibrate test to EPA standards.
- Ensure the accuracy of the results.
Very simple to follow! In little time at all, one will identify the pollutants present in its water supply.
Continuing, clinical diagnostics rely on the accuracy of water quality. Poor water quality affects the chemistry of tests and may also have an impact on the overall performance of the analyzer. Consequently, the reliability of the test findings would diminish, while calibration times and reagent costs would increase.
Photo courtesy of ELGA PURELAB FLEX 2
According to the Medical Laboratory Observer (2020), the importance of water quality is also manifested in the life science industry. It is used in various research lab applications, including molecular biology, electrophoresis, electrophysiology, endotoxin analysis, histology, monoclonal antibody research and immunocytochemistry, radioimmunology (RIA), and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), among others.
Addition to this, the demand for cleaning, sanitizing, and sterilizing reusable medical equipment in the healthcare industry is rising presenting yet another industry in need of guidelines and international standards as apprehensions grow over infection control in health facilities and the spread of increasingly resistant pathogens. This further escalates the demand for quality control water in the life science industry.
Installing point-of-use water purification systems as trustworthy solutions can give confidence in the quality control of pure and ultrapure water for all elements, as its job will become more critical as test and research requirements rise.
In conclusion, water is our key to survival. Hence, we must rise to the occasion by underlining its significance and mobilizing a coordinated effort at the local, national, and worldwide levels in order to make meaningful contributions.
References:
Water Quality Testing – Laboratory Services. (n.d.). Retrieved from ADE Consulting Group https://ade.group/laboratory-analysis-water-testing/
Weida, K. (2022, January 07). How to Test Water at Home with a Water Test Kit. Retrieved from Safe Wise: https://www.safewise.com/best-water-testing-kits/
Achieving best QC practices for clinical lab water. (2020, May 20). Retrieved from Medical Laboratory Observers: https://www.mlo-online.com/management/qaqc/
article/21138367/achieving-best-qc-practices-for-clinical-lab-water