The Misunderstood Laboratory Solvent: Reagent Water for HPLC
January 1st 2005Reagent water is used in all aspects of liquid chromatography (LC) technology, from preparation of mobile phase to preparation of standards, blanks, and samples. Reagent water is the most widely used analytical solvent, yet it is the least characterized, especially in total organic carbon (TOC) content. TOC adversely effects performance of LC methods and hence, reagent water quality is a major issue. Organics initially present in tap water will be reduced efficiently to low parts-per-billion concentrations by combining several technologies embedded in a water purification system. Monitoring the TOC concentrations gives chromatographers added confidence in their results.