What are the national standards for water quality in dialysis treatments?

December 29, 2023

REVERSE OSMOSIS SYSTEM FOR DIALYSIS (HEMODIALYSIS)

Since the early 1960s, Reverse osmosis system for dialysis or hemodialysis (HD) has been increasingly used for the treatment of acute renal failure and end-stage renal failure. Technologic advances in dialyzer membranes, dialysis machines and vascular access have made HD a routine procedure today.

1. What is dialysis water treatment?

Dialysis is a blood cleaning process used when a person kidneys doesn’t work or have a reduced functionality (around 10 to 15%). The procedure consists of an artificial kidney or dialyzer where the blood contaminants are filtered through a thin membrane into a concentrate fluid called dialyzate in dialysis water treatment.

The dialyzate is a mix of: bicarbonate componente, that can be sodium bicarbonate and sodium chloride; acid component, that contains chloride salts of sodium, potassium (if needed), calcium, magnesium, acetate (or citrate), and glucose (optional); and ultra pure water as a mixing media.

2. Why Dialysis machine needs reverse osmosis?

Dialysis water treatment or dialysis machines need ultra pure water to prevent patients from getting infections from micro-organisms in the water. That’s why CHUNKE produces reverse osmosis systems for dialysis machines.

The ultra pure water needs vary depending on the capacity of the dialysis center and treatment of each center. So, CHUNKE had delivered different types of reverse osmosis systems for dialysis to cover all needs for this high standards of water quality.

3. Who invented the first reverse osmosis system?

Eighteenth-century French physicist Jean Antoine Nollet gets the credit for that. However, two centuries after Nollet’s discovery, RO was still not much more than a laboratory phenomenon until a Thayer student project helped create a new multi-million dollar RO industry. Now, dialysis water treatment becomes one important area in Medical Water Purification Equipment (Water For Scientific Research Laboratories) industry.

4. What is the process for purifying water for dialysis treatments?
A reverse osmosis (RO) system is the primary method for purifying water for dialysis treatments, ensuring patients receive safe, clean water. However, even before the water passes through the RO machine, it receives a preliminary filtration via a pre-treatment system, helping remove chlorine, chloramines, and other contaminants, and lessening the burden of the RO membrane. The pre-treatment system can also help identify a drop in pressure or a leak.

5. Why does tap water have a risk for dialysis patients?
Tap water does not meet the standards required for dialysis water treatment due to the chemicals water municipalities add to the water to make it safe to drink. These chemicals include flocculants such as aluminum sulfate, fluoride, and polyphosphates to reduce corrosion, as well as various disinfectants, such as ozone, chlorine dioxide, chlorine, and chloramines. As I mentioned before, these chemicals can be harmful to dialysis patients since their kidneys are unable to filter the contaminants from their body. So, dialysis water treatment is important for hospital in Medical Water Purification Equipment and Laboratory Water Purification Equipment.

6. What are the national standards for water quality in dialysis treatments?

The Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation® (AAMI) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) established chemical standards for water used in dialysis, including the equipment and processes, the devices used for storage and distribution of the water, and the threshold levels of water contamination. It is critical that we provide patients with purified water that meets or exceeds these chemical and microbiological standards. Reverse osmosis system for dialysis provides best water for you.