You are here:
EVALUATION OF ORGANIC CONTAMINATION OF WATER BY REVERSE OSMOSIS CONCENTRATION SYSTEM
Citation:
Hughes, B., W. Hedley, AND S. Lynch. EVALUATION OF ORGANIC CONTAMINATION OF WATER BY REVERSE OSMOSIS CONCENTRATION SYSTEM. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/7-82/007 (NTIS PB82235995), 1982.
Description:
The objective of this program was to determine whether the membrane or other components of the reverse osmosis system used to concentrate water samples for health effects testing was itself adding significant quantities of organic impurities to them. Two batches of very pure, low organic-content water from Well 4, Villa West, in Hammond, Louisiana, were concentrated using this system and both the raw water and the concentrates were analyzed by glass capillary gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The analyses showed that chromatographable, organic contaminants in the 1-10 ppb range, (consisting mainly of silicones and phthalates) were present in sample concentrates and blanks. It is concluded that the reverse osmosis systems used do not contribute chromatographable organic pollutants in the processed waters at concentrations exceeding 10 ppb.