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Lab Water Purification

Introduction

Lab water is one of the most important reagents in any laboratory. It plays a critical role in preparing buffers and media, serves as a blank in many experiments, feeds clinical chemistry analyzers and other instruments, and is used to clean lab equipment. Selecting the optimal lab water quality—whether Type 1 water (ultrapure water), Type 2 water (pure water) to reverse osmosis water—is fundamental to achieving reliable, accurate and reproducible results.

Consistent water quality begins with choosing the right water purification equipment for your lab and for each application, from analytical chemistry to cell and molecular biology, clinical diagnostics and beyond.

Bookmark this Lab Water Learning Hub so you can always access expert guidance from the scientists behind Milli-Q® water systems.

  • Get tips for selecting the correct water quality for your application
  • Understand the impact of water contaminants and how to prevent them
  • Compare lab water purification technologies and explore advanced lab water systems

Whether you are an analytical chemist, a clinical microbiology technician, a biologist, or a food and beverage manufacturer, successful outcomes start with consistent water purity.

Section Overview

Featured Articles

Slide 1 of 6
Chemical structure of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a type of PFAS
Obtaining Ultrapure Water for Sensitive PFAS Analysis by LC-MS

The article details the suitability of Milli-Q® water purification systems for effective removal of PFAS from water for reliable LC-MS/MS analyses.

Scientist analyzing pesticide contamination on an HPLC chromatogram
Ultrapure Water for Sensitive LC-MS Analysis of Pesticides

This study illustrates the efficiency of Milli-Q® water purification systems in eliminating pesticides from tap water for reliable LC-MS results.

Ion-exchange beads used in the Milli-Q water purification system
Laboratory Water Purification Techniques & Technologies

Explore how various water purification technologies effectively remove contaminants to ensure laboratory-grade water quality for scientific analyses.

Close up of purified lab water in graduated cylinder.
Water Quality Grades for Laboratory Applications

Which water grade is best suited for your specific analysis? Using the optimal water grade yields greater reliability and accuracy.

PCR tubes with green liquid being loaded by gloved hand into a thermocycler.
Water for PCR Techniques

Learn how water impurities can affect PCR and related methodologies. High purity water purified using ultrafiltration is suitable for PCR and related techniques.

A close-up of a blood sample tube resting on a laboratory report, with a researcher in the background examining samples under a microscope.
Ultrapure Water for LC-MS Biomedical Analyses

This study highlights the role of high-quality ultrapure water in biomedical testing for consistent and reliable LC-MS analysis.

Guide to Water Quality for Laboratory Applications

Slide 1 of 4
An artistic depiction of a microscope created from purified lab water.
Understanding Lab Water: The Foundation of Precision Science

Learn how water purity impacts your lab's accuracy, compliance, and efficiency — across pharma, clinical, food, biotech, and more.

Scientist placing a vial flask into a gas chromatography instrument.
Water for Analytical Chemistry

Learn how high-quality ultrapure water supports accurate HPLC, LC-MS & ICP-MS analyses. Get tips to avoid contaminants & improve results confidence.

DNA double helix on a blue background.
Water for Cell & Molecular Biology

Learn how high-quality ultrapure water supports more reliable protein and genomic research. Get tips to avoid contaminants to advance your science faster.

Researcher placing blood samples for clinical diagnostics into a test tube rack.
Water for Clinical Diagnostics

Learn the importance of water quality and the pitfalls of contaminants when aiming to delivering accurate biomedical analyses in clinical labs.

Resources Library

Recommended Readings

Slide 1 of 6
Two scientists working at a lab bench with the Q-POD ultrapure water dispenser.
Article: How to Select the Right Water Purification System for Your Lab

Choosing a water purification system? Consider required water quality, total volume, monitoring & traceability, and service needs.

Artistic depiction of organic molecule contamination found in lab water.
Article: Water for Clinical Chemistry

Explore how high-quality water is essential for accurate clinical chemistry assays and complying with norms and guidelines (e.g. CLSI).

Scientist creating lab buffers in conical tubes.
Article: Water for pH Measurement and Buffer Preparation

Learn how water impurities can affect pH. Water quality defined as pure water or Type 2 water is recommended to prepare buffer solutions or measure pH.

Petri dish with visible bacterial growth
Article: Water Contaminants: Types, Sources and Impacts in the Lab

Learn about various water contaminants, their sources, impacts on laboratory experiments, and effective removal methods.

Display screen from a water purification system showing resistivity, TOC, and temperature of purified water.
Article: Water Quality Monitoring

Learn how lab water quality can be assessed with conductivity, resistivity or TOC measurements.

A laboratory scene showing a gloved hand using a pipette to transfer purified water into a sample tube, with various lab equipment in the background.
Article: Ultrapure vs. DEPC Treated Water for Molecular Biology Applications

Understand the benefits of ultrapure water versus DEPC treatment in DNA and RNA experiments to ensure high purity and integrity without risks.

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Related Learning Hubs

Cell Culture & Cell Culture AnalysisFood & Beverage Testing & ManufacturingMolecular Biology & GenomicsMicrobiological TestingSynthetic Chemistry
Section Overview
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