It is estimated that laboratories have five times the environmental impact of office spaces, partly due to their water-intensive operations. Whether it's diluting samples and preparing media or washing glassware, water is used for all kinds of background and sensitive applications in clinical diagnostic, pharmaceutical, and university research laboratories, as well as in technological development.
With the growing demand for innovative medical solutions and technologies, the need for water, which must be collected, purified, transported, stored, and purified again before being discharged into the mains supply, also increases. Each stage can require large amounts of energy and water, contributing to the CO2 footprint and environmental impact of a laboratory—not to mention the costs.
In the face of the climate crisis, growing population, and water scarcity, laboratories everywhere must reassess their water consumption and related processes and take practical steps to implement more sustainable solutions.
How Can Laboratories Use Water More Sustainably?
Sustainable water management in the laboratory is not limited to the amount consumed. It can also extend to the energy consumption of devices used in water treatment, as well as the chemicals used for water treatment and their effective removal to protect the environment from contamination when released.
Below, we explore some practical methods that laboratories can apply to reduce their environmental impact and take steps towards true sustainability through their water consumption.
Use the Right Type of Water for Each Application
A simple way to increase water sustainability is to use the correct type of water for each application. Since water treatment requires time, energy, and other consumables, using water with unnecessarily high purity for a specific application results in avoidable waste and CO2 emissions and depletes laboratory resources.
To prevent this, pure water of types I, II, and III, as well as water that has been distilled or passed through a reverse osmosis membrane, should only be used when the sensitivity of the application or experiment demands it.
Maintain Equipment and Configure Infrastructure Effectively
Proper maintenance of equipment and the effective configuration of infrastructure also enhance sustainability. Regular repairs, as soon as leaking faucets and pipe problems occur, ensure that water waste is minimized. Innovative technologies can also be implemented to monitor the condition of pipes and issue alerts when damage occurs, allowing lab teams to act as quickly as possible to fix the problem.
Effective cleaning and maintenance of equipment can also increase water, energy, and cost efficiency overall. Even though there may be short-term costs, old or poorly maintained RO membranes and filters can waste large amounts of water in the long run. Additionally, reducing the water pressure in your lab can limit excessive water consumption.
Retrofitting
Identifying opportunities to retrofit your equipment with more modern and energy- and water-efficient components offers significant ecological and economic benefits. A study showed that using research autoclaves instead of medical autoclaves consumed 81% less energy and 93% less water per use.
Installing low-flow fixtures in laboratory equipment, from sinks to toilets, as well as electronic faucets that automatically shut off when not in use, and water meters also help save water and resources.
Partner with Sustainable Solutions
Another step towards water sustainability is partnering with providers of sustainable solutions like Evoqua. We have developed several innovative laboratory water products designed for durability and maximum efficiency to reduce the environmental impact of our lab customers and ourselves.
This includes the LaboStar® RO DI, which produces high-quality water with energy-saving membranes to increase energy and cost efficiency. We also offer products with water recovery features, such as the Ultra Clear® RO, which help save water and reduce overall consumption.
Not only do we help laboratories become more sustainable, but we also reward our most environmentally conscious customers with the Evoqua Sustainability Award, recognizing their outstanding achievements in water management.
We also pursue sustainability within our own organization, contributing to the improved sustainability values of our customers' supply chains. In 2020, we reduced our landfill waste by 11% and CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels by 1541 tons. Additionally, our production facility in Austin, USA, was recognized for its efforts in waste reduction, water conservation, and environmentally friendly wastewater disposal.
Get Certified
Pursuing certifications can also contribute to sustainability, such as ISO 14001 for environmental management or the Green Labs certification through the Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF). These provide an actionable roadmap for achieving higher water efficiency and reducing the overall impact of your laboratory using calculators to track economic and carbon savings.
Comments