Finding Pure Water For Record Cleaning (swipe)
johmbolaya
4,472 Posts
==begin swipe==FINDING PURE WATER FOR RECORD CLEANING[/b](Note: A more detailed version of this article is posted elsewhere)OVERVIEW[/b]??? Finding pristine water for use in record cleaning is needlessly complicated by the utter lack of purity standards for water sold to consumers. This article explores the purity requirements for water used in record cleaning; it offers a simple guideline for finding high-quality water among consumer products. It???s clear that you must look beyond single purification methods (distillation, de-ionization or reverse osmosis) and seek very specific combinations of purification steps on the product labels. Waters purified via these multiple steps meet the standards for reagent-grade water reserved for laboratory use. Such products are perfectly suited for record cleaning.INTRODUCTION[/b]???This article is organized as short answers to the following questions. What contaminants are typically found in water? Which ones are harmful to record cleaning? Which purification methods are best at removing them? What are the existing standards for water purities? What purity level(s) is acceptable for record cleaning? And finally, how do you know the purity of commercial water when the contaminant levels are not specified?WHAT ARE THE WORST WATER CONTAMINANTS?[/b]???I found three types of water contaminants to be most harmful to LPs. First are the organic contaminants. They come from herbicides, pesticides, chlorination process and industrial solvents and are known collectively as total organic compounds (TOC; in parts per million or ppm). Second are the dissolved minerals. These abundant contaminants are dispersed in water as ions (charged particles like sodium, calcium, chloride and silicate). They are collectively called total dissolved solid or TDS (expressed in ppm). Low TDS means high water resistivity (in megohms.centimeter), a quantitative measure of purity. Third are the solid particulates. Grains of sand, quartz and silica are insoluble in water; they exist in water as sediments, suspended particulates and colloids (sub-micron). If deposited on the Vinyl surface or imbedded in the Vinyl grooves, these contaminants can cause very unpleasant clicks and pops that can ruin an enjoyable musical experience. Especially large particulates that act like giant boulders blocking the path of the stylus can cause permanent damage to the grooves and the cartridge.EFFECTIVENESS OF WATER PURIFICATION METHODS[/b]???Here is a summary of the strength of various water purification methods (see tables below). Distillation boasts the broadest capabilities; it can remove up to 99 percent of impurities from water. De-ionization (DI) has no peer in removing dissolved minerals, the worse contaminants; it can remove 99.9% of TDS from water in a single pass. Reverse-Osmosis (RO) Filtration is a broad purification method which is also capable of large throughput; it removes about 90% of TDS in a single pass and over 99% in multiple passes. Activated-Carbon Filtration (ACF) offers by far the best removal of all TOC; it is also very energy-efficient. Micro-Filtration (MF) is a necessary step to any good water purification system; it removes all suspended particulates including colloids (with 0.22-micron filter). This summary made one thing abundantly clear: multiple purification steps are the best ways to remove ALL water contaminants harmful to record cleaning.Effectiveness of DistillationBiological contaminants (viruses, bacteria, pyrogens, cysts):......Very GoodDissolved gases (CO2, chlorine, radon):................................. ...PoorSoluble organics (except VOC):................................... .............GoodParticulates (sand, dust):.................................. .......................Very GoodSoluble minerals (salts, hardness, iron, heavy metals):...............Very GoodEffectiveness of De-ionizationBiological contaminants (viruses, bacteria, pyrogens, cysts):.......PoorDissolved gases (CO2, chlorine, radon):................................. ....GoodSoluble organics (charged ions only):.................................. ......GoodParticulates (sand, dust, colloids):.............................. ...............PoorSoluble minerals (salts, hardness, iron, heavy metals):...............OutstandingEffectiveness of Reverse-Osmosis FiltrationBiological contaminants (viruses, bacteria, pyrogens, cysts):......Very GoodDissolved gases (chlorine only):.................................. ..............PoorSoluble organics (charged ions only):.................................. ......GoodParticulates (sand, dust, colloids):.............................. ...............Very goodSoluble minerals (salts, hardness, iron, heavy metals):...............Very GoodEffectiveness of Activated-Carbon FiltrationBiological contaminants (viruses, bacteria, pyrogens, cysts):........PoorDissolved gases (chlorine):............................. ...........................GoodDissolved organics (herbicides, pesticides, industrial solvents):....OutstandingParticulates (sand, dust, colloids):.............................. ................PoorSoluble minerals (salts, hardness, iron, heavy metals):.................PoorWATER-PURITY STANDARDS: READ THE LABEL[/b]???Type-I or ???ultra-pure??? water and Type-II or ???pure??? water are purity grades set by the ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) for water used in laboratories. The very low limits imposed upon the worst Vinyl contaminants (see tables below) make these products perfectly suited for record-cleaning applications. To meet these ASTM standards, the water must be purified the following ways. Type-II water: combination of distillation or DI with ACF and MF. Type-I water: combination of distillation or DI with RO, ACF and MF steps; or triple distillation. If you find these specific purification steps on the labels of consumer waters, these products are very likely to meet the ASTM purity standards and are therefore well suited for record cleaning.Type-I Grade (triple distillation; distilled or DI water also treated with RO, ACF and MF)Resistivity:...........18 Megohm.cm minimum (TDS roughly below 10 ppm)Sodium:...............1 ppm maximumChloride:..............1 ppm maximumSilica:..................3 ppm maximumTOC:....................50 ppm maximumType II Grade: (distilled or DI water also treated with ACF and MF)Resistivity:...........1.0 Megohm.cm min. (TDS roughly below 20 ppm)Sodium:...............5 ppm max.Chloride:..............3 ppm max.Silica:..................3 ppm maximumTOC:....................50 ppm max.REAGENT-GRADE WATER[/b]???As a consumer, you may have access reagent water which are ???certified??? as Type-I or Type-II water. Testing laboratories in your area may let you have small quantities of this water free of charge???check your yellow pages, ask nicely and bring your own container. Chemical suppliers, such as Fisher Scientific, Sargent-Welch or Sigma-Aldrich sell reagent-grade water (Type-I) at $6 to $7 per gallon in inert (amber) glass bottles certified by lot analysis. Water for special laboratory applications, such as HPLC, is ultra pure, very expensive (about $50 per gallon) and seems like an overkill for record cleaning. If you do not have access to laboratory water, I can still help you find consumer products that will meet Type-I and Type-II reagent-grade standards.UNSUITABLE WATER[/b]???Consumer water produced with a ???single??? purification step should not be used except as the last resort. Unfortunately, distilled water sold in most grocery stores is produced by single distillation without additional purification steps except for MF (ozonation oxygenates the water but does not purify it). Likewise, water purified by RO alone does not meet Typ
e-I or Type-II specs either unless multiple passes and additional MF are specified. For in-store RO water, check analysis before buying.SUITABLE WATER[/b]???Type-II grade or ???pure??? water is suitable for mixing or diluting surfactant-base RCF. It is probably also safe for alcohol-base RCF and record rinsing, although I prefer Type-I water for these applications (without surfactant) to minimize re-contaminating the records with dissolved minerals. Distilled water treated with ACF and MF (e.g., Ozarka or 365) will meet or exceed Type-II or ???pure??? water specs (TDS ~ 10 to 50 ppm; TOC < 50 ppm; silica < 3 ppm). It is sold in one-gallon plastic containers???to be replaced???at a modest cost of $1 to $1.20 per gallon.PREFERRED WATER & BEST BUY[/b]???Type-I grade or ???ultra-pure??? water (TDS < 10 ppm; TOC < 50 ppm; silica < 3ppm) is best for all record cleaning applications. There are several sources of this product for consumers. Distilled water further purified with ACF, RO, DI, and MF is an outstanding choice often found in specialty-food stores (e.g., Rain Fresh sold by Whole Food). The cost is $2 per gallon (with $2 deposit for the excellent polycarbonate container). De-ionized water (very low in TDS) is harder to find. Some specialty-food stores have in-house units that produce tripled-filtered water (coarse filtration, ACF & MF) further treated with RO and DI. The purity levels meet or exceed Type-I specs making this water an outstanding product for all applications in record cleaning. At 40 cents per gallon, it???s a bargain to boot???at this price, I did not mind bringing my own container. Inquire about the age of various cartridges before buying.STORAGE[/b]???Pure water should always be stored in inert glass or polycarbonate container (#7) to avoid re-contamination with plasticizers or dioxin from common plastics. Most consumer waters are sold in high-density polyethylene (#2) or polyethylene teraphthalate (#1) containers. They should be replaced. You can tell the type of plastic by looking up the ???Recycle Code??? on the bottom of the container. It is the number within a triangle. Look for # 7 for polycarbonate. Before use, all storage containers must be thoroughly washed with a mild soap and rinsed repeatedly. Use a proper cap???no cork or paper lining, nor complicated spout that can cause contamination. With the right water and proper storage, you should be able to mix your own RCF, dilute commercial products or rinse your records in complete safety and with excellent results.PARTING WORDS[/b]???For record cleaning, you must look for more than just distilled-, de-ionized- or RO water. For high-purity water (Type II), read the label carefully and look for distilled or de-ionized water also treated with activated-carbon filtration and micro-filtration. For ultra-high purity water (Type I), look for distilled or DI water also treated with Reverse Osmosis, Activated-Carbon Filtration and Micro-Filtration. These products are comparable to reagent-grade waters sold to laboratories through chemical suppliers. They are the safest things to use to record cleaning. I hope that I have given you sufficient information to justify these choices and help you find the water that you need. If, in addition, I have given you a broader understanding of the water issues as well, I consider my goal fulfilled beyond expectations???even if your ultimate choice of water differs from mine.Thank you for your time and interest.Justin TimeDallas, Texas11/19/05===end swipe===
e-I or Type-II specs either unless multiple passes and additional MF are specified. For in-store RO water, check analysis before buying.SUITABLE WATER[/b]???Type-II grade or ???pure??? water is suitable for mixing or diluting surfactant-base RCF. It is probably also safe for alcohol-base RCF and record rinsing, although I prefer Type-I water for these applications (without surfactant) to minimize re-contaminating the records with dissolved minerals. Distilled water treated with ACF and MF (e.g., Ozarka or 365) will meet or exceed Type-II or ???pure??? water specs (TDS ~ 10 to 50 ppm; TOC < 50 ppm; silica < 3 ppm). It is sold in one-gallon plastic containers???to be replaced???at a modest cost of $1 to $1.20 per gallon.PREFERRED WATER & BEST BUY[/b]???Type-I grade or ???ultra-pure??? water (TDS < 10 ppm; TOC < 50 ppm; silica < 3ppm) is best for all record cleaning applications. There are several sources of this product for consumers. Distilled water further purified with ACF, RO, DI, and MF is an outstanding choice often found in specialty-food stores (e.g., Rain Fresh sold by Whole Food). The cost is $2 per gallon (with $2 deposit for the excellent polycarbonate container). De-ionized water (very low in TDS) is harder to find. Some specialty-food stores have in-house units that produce tripled-filtered water (coarse filtration, ACF & MF) further treated with RO and DI. The purity levels meet or exceed Type-I specs making this water an outstanding product for all applications in record cleaning. At 40 cents per gallon, it???s a bargain to boot???at this price, I did not mind bringing my own container. Inquire about the age of various cartridges before buying.STORAGE[/b]???Pure water should always be stored in inert glass or polycarbonate container (#7) to avoid re-contamination with plasticizers or dioxin from common plastics. Most consumer waters are sold in high-density polyethylene (#2) or polyethylene teraphthalate (#1) containers. They should be replaced. You can tell the type of plastic by looking up the ???Recycle Code??? on the bottom of the container. It is the number within a triangle. Look for # 7 for polycarbonate. Before use, all storage containers must be thoroughly washed with a mild soap and rinsed repeatedly. Use a proper cap???no cork or paper lining, nor complicated spout that can cause contamination. With the right water and proper storage, you should be able to mix your own RCF, dilute commercial products or rinse your records in complete safety and with excellent results.PARTING WORDS[/b]???For record cleaning, you must look for more than just distilled-, de-ionized- or RO water. For high-purity water (Type II), read the label carefully and look for distilled or de-ionized water also treated with activated-carbon filtration and micro-filtration. For ultra-high purity water (Type I), look for distilled or DI water also treated with Reverse Osmosis, Activated-Carbon Filtration and Micro-Filtration. These products are comparable to reagent-grade waters sold to laboratories through chemical suppliers. They are the safest things to use to record cleaning. I hope that I have given you sufficient information to justify these choices and help you find the water that you need. If, in addition, I have given you a broader understanding of the water issues as well, I consider my goal fulfilled beyond expectations???even if your ultimate choice of water differs from mine.Thank you for your time and interest.Justin TimeDallas, Texas11/19/05===end swipe===
Comments
This is all I do... boil the water, add some iso alcohol - 1:3. I think going into all that other science is perhaps just a tad too nerdy. If you clean a record once, will it really make an iota of difference that maybe a few tiny microorganisms leaked in? Then again, I ain't no scientist.
I myself use Last Record Cleaner, it eliminates me getting that technical. I know some collectors prefer some of the ionized waters that can be found at health food stores.
Distilled, the stuff you get by the gallon at the supermarket, is the best for particulate which is what we want to get rid of. So why read that whole argument.
Boiling removes impurities like viruses but it concentrates minerals, so I would not do that.
Dan
Somewhat true. You could boil distilled water, for instance. Or you could distill it yourself, by boiling it in a smaller pot, condensing it on a larger lid, and catching it somehow. I'm sure there's something that would work.
I would think the mineral concentration thing would really only be a concern if you're using tap water, in which case you might as well cough up the 50 cents and buy a gallon of distilled.
Right. If you captured the steam, and used that you would leave the minerals behind in the pot.
Dan