WATER ANALYSIS SYSTEM

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a system for determining the necessity of a measure and / or the success of a measure for water, in particular drinking water, process water, or wastewater, in a pipe. The water can be located, for example, in a pipeline or in a container. In the case of a container, the container has an inlet and / or outlet line for filling / emptying the container.

[0002] Numerous methods are known for testing water quality, which can be used to determine various chemical, physical, or even microbiological parameters of the respective samples. Depending on the property being examined, either a sample is taken first and then analyzed in the laboratory, or in some cases, a field analysis is carried out directly on site.

[0003] Especially in drinking water, even the slightest contamination must be detected early and reliably. Bacterial pathogens, such as L. pneumophila or P. aeruginosa, but also other contaminations of drinking water by nanoparticles and other toxins. Many such contaminations can often only be detected with conventional analytical methods after a delay of several days. Furthermore, required limit values ​​for certain contaminants—in Germany, for example, the Drinking Water Ordinance stipulates a limit of less than one E. coli per 100 ml of water—cannot always be regularly measured with standard analytical devices used in water analysis. Measurement methods capable of this, such as continuous PCR measurement, are economically expensive and complex.

[0004] Another example of the limitations of current analytical methods is the determination of the TOC (total organic carbon) value, which is often too unspecific to provide a reliable statement about the biological quality of the water. Previous methods based on biological tests are complex and often delay the testing of drinking water by several days.

[0005] The increasing environmental pollution with industrially produced nanoparticles is also problematic. These are increasingly entering the environment and thus also into wastewater and drinking water, where they are ingested by humans and animals. Just like pathogens, nanoparticles are highly diverse in their structure and composition, which also determines their pathogenic effects. It is therefore increasingly urgent to determine the proportion and composition of low-concentration particulate substances in water.

[0006] Arrangements for filtering liquids—e.g., water—and for testing the filtration process are disclosed, for example, in US 2013 / 075331 A1, US 2019 / 209968 A1, US 2016 / 340204 A1, or US 2019 / 039022 A1. US 2014 / 342397 A1 describes how potential parasites are removed from a filter and the resulting retentate is concentrated and analyzed. US 2016 / 0109425 A1 describes the analysis of a retentate to obtain information about the filter system.

[0007] Continuous and timely monitoring of these diverse parameters currently fails due to the time-consuming and labor-intensive nature of the available measurement and analysis methods, or in some cases, the lack of reliable analytical methods. Therefore, the present invention seeks to provide a method for reliable and comprehensive analysis or testing of water that is universally applicable and capable of detecting even small amounts of contamination.

[0008] This object is achieved by the system according to claim 1.

[0009] Water filters are often installed near water pipes. They filter specific substances from the water and retain particles according to a specified pore size. In the context of filters, the term "retentate" or "filter cake" refers to the substance retained during the separation process caused by the filter. The retentate from water filters is usually discarded or disposed of. However, this retentate normally contains particulate contaminants (microorganisms, nanoparticles, etc.) in the water in concentrated form. Consequently, the retentate is ideally suited for quantitative and qualitative analysis; in particular, even low-concentration contaminants can be detected using the retentate.An investigation of the retentate, which is available in large quantities in existing public and private infrastructures, therefore offers a previously untapped, significant information potential.

[0010] The present invention advantageously enables particulate contamination present in the retentates to be detected comprehensively, decentrally and promptly.

[0011] In one embodiment, a measuring / analysis device, in particular a measuring / analysis instrument for analyzing at least one dissolved and particulate substance, preferably a mass spectrometer, an atomic absorption spectrometer, an atomic emission spectrometer, a Raman spectrometer, and / or a hyperspectral microscope, in particular in the visible light or near-infrared range, is used to analyze the retentate. The combination and / or use of different measuring / analysis devices ensures that all of the diverse possible contaminations can be detected. One or more different measuring / analysis devices can be used for the analysis to be performed, either simultaneously or sequentially. The targeted selection or combination of the different methods depends on the information expected.Mass spectrometry is particularly suitable for determining elemental composition, while Raman spectroscopy, for example, provides information on the molecular composition of the sample and for the phenotypic identification of bacteria. Hyperspectral microscopy in the VIS and NIR range, in turn, can provide information on chemical-structural and physical information and also enable the phenotypic identification of bacteria. A combination of different detection technologies captures a wide range of information on the measured particulate contamination. This information, both on the elemental and molecular composition of the particles as well as on their structure and shape, allows for a better identification of the respective particulate contamination.Please note that the measurement / analysis devices and their respective capabilities listed here are by no means exhaustive. Rather, a suitable method can be selected depending on the application, for example, the type of contamination to be detected.

[0012] It is advantageous if the analysis is performed in single-particle or single-cell mode. In this operating mode, instead of a continuous signal, a short, strong signal is received from a specific particle or cell. Examples of devices and methods for these operating modes in spectroscopy are described, for example, in US Pat. No. 7,479,630 B2.

[0013] The water filters are each self-cleaning. Self-cleaning filters are well-known in the art and are characterized by their ability to filter large volumes of water at high throughput and retain particles down to 0.2 µm in diameter and smaller.

[0014] For cleaning, the filters are rinsed regularly. This releases the particles bound to the filter. In an advantageous embodiment, the retentate is removed during the water filter cleaning process. For example, the rinse water used to clean the filter, which contains the retentate, can be removed from the respective filter.

[0015] By selecting the appropriate filter, the particle size of the filtrate contained in the rinse water can also be appropriately restricted. This allows, for example, filtration down to a particle size of 0.2 µm, which is directly in the size range of bacterial pathogens. By pre-filtering, the final filtrate can be restricted to a size range of, for example, 0.2 to 10 µm and used as rinse water for analysis.

[0016] Since the respective contaminants are already concentrated in the retentate from a filter, in many applications the retentate can be analyzed directly without further preparation steps. However, according to one embodiment of the method, it is also possible for the retentate to be cultured beforehand in preparation for analysis.

[0017] Advantageously, pathogenic bacteria can be identified and differentiated by means of mass spectrometric analysis, in particular by means of an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer, based on the quantitative analysis of their elemental composition.

[0018] One embodiment involves testing the water for the presence of particulate contamination, particularly in the form of microorganisms and / or nanoparticles.

[0019] A further embodiment includes examining the water for the presence, nature and / or environment of bacteria and / or pathogens, in particular a concentration and / or spatial distribution of the bacteria.

[0020] Another design provides for the determination of the total number of germs in the water.

[0021] Finally, one embodiment involves testing the water for the presence of noxious substances, such as lead or arsenic.

[0022] However, the examples mentioned here for different types of contamination that can be detected using the system according to the invention are by no means exhaustive. Rather, numerous other water properties can be examined depending on the measurement and analysis methods used.

[0023] The system's line can, for example, be a pipeline in which the water filters are located. However, the water can also be located in a stationary reservoir, such as a container. In the latter case, it is advantageous if the container has an inlet and / or outlet line in which the water filters are arranged. The device for providing the retentate comprises the water filters, which in turn comprise, in particular, a filter unit, for example, in the form of a membrane.

[0024] According to the invention, the water filters are self-cleaning filters, wherein the device comprises means for reversing a flow direction of the water through the water filters in the form of suction scanners.

[0025] The invention is explained in more detail with reference to the following figures. They show: Fig.1 a first embodiment of a system not according to the invention for determining the necessity of a measure and / or the success of a measure for water in a pipe with a water filter detachably integrated into a pipe, Fig. 2 a second embodiment of a system not according to the invention with a self-cleaning filter with means for reversing the flow direction of the medium through the filter; Fig. 3 a third embodiment for a system not according to the invention with a self-cleaning filter and a suction scanner, and Fig.4 an embodiment of a system according to the invention with two water filters and two integrated measuring / analysis devices.

[0026] In the figures, identical elements are provided with the same reference numerals.

[0027] Fig. 1 shows a first embodiment of a system 1 not according to the invention. Shown is a pipeline 2 with a device 3 for providing the retentate from the water filter 4, in which a filter unit 5 is detachably integrated into the pipeline 2. The water W flows through the filter 4 in the flow direction indicated by the two arrows. The retentate 6 collects at the filter unit 5 and is retained by the filter 4. When the filter unit 5 is removed from the pipeline 2, the retentate 6 can be removed and analyzed with a measuring / analysis device 7 (not shown here). Fig. 1 In the system 1 shown, the device 3 and the measuring / analysis device are arranged separately from one another. In other embodiments, however, the system can also be designed in a more compact manner, such that the measuring / analysis device 7 is arranged together with the device 3.

[0028] In the Fig. 2 The system 1 shown is a system 1 with a self-cleaning filter 4 in the form of a backwash filter. In normal operation, water W flows through the pipe 2, similar to Fig. 1 . In Fig. 2 A cleaning process for filter 4 is now illustrated. Device 3 comprises two valves 8a, 8b. The first valve 8a is a reversing valve, by means of which the direction of water flow can be reversed. During the cleaning process, rinse water S flows through pipe 2 in the flow direction indicated by the arrows. During the cleaning process, the second valve 8b is also opened, so that the rinse water S containing retentate 6 reaches additional line 9, through which it can, for example, be fed directly to a measuring / analysis device (again not shown). Either the measuring / analysis device 7 is connected directly to line 9, or the rinse water S containing retentate 6 can be withdrawn via line 9 and fed to a measuring / analysis device arranged separately from device 3.

[0029] An embodiment of a system 1 not according to the invention with a self-cleaning filter 4 is the subject of Fig. 3 This is a filter 4 with a suction scanner 10, by means of which the retentate 6 can be removed from the filter unit 5 during a cleaning process. The suction scanner 10 has a valve 11 through which the retentate 6 can be removed.

[0030] An embodiment of a system 1 according to the invention is the subject of Fig. 4 The system 1 comprises two devices 3a, 3b, each providing a retentate 6a, 6b with two different filters 4a, 4b. The first filter 4 is used to filter larger particles in the water, the second filter 4b to filter smaller particles. The two filter units 5a, 5b used therefore have different pore sizes, with the pore size of the first filter unit 5a being larger than the pore size of the second filter unit 5b. For the embodiment shown here, it is assumed that the first filter unit 5a is designed to filter particles with diameters >10 µm and the second filter unit 5b is designed to filter particles with diameters <10 µm.

[0031] Both filters 4a, 4b are self-cleaning filters, each with a suction scanner 10a, 10b, which is connected via a valve 11a, 11b and a supply line 12a, 12b to a sample preparation unit 13a, 13b and a measuring / analysis device 7a, 7b. The sample preparation units 13a, 13b are each optional. For example, they can be used to cultivate a sample of the retentate 6. The two measuring / analysis devices 7 can be the same or different measuring / analysis devices. By appropriately selecting the filter units 5a, 5b, the retentate 6 can be specifically influenced by suitably restricting the particle size. Bezugszeichen

[0032] 1System 2Pipe 3,3a,3bDevice for providing a retentate 4,4a,4bWater filter 5,5a,5bFilter unit 6,6a,6bRetentate 7,7a,7bMeasuring / analysis device 8a,8bValves 9,Line 10a,10bSuction scanner 11a,11bValve 12a,12bLine 13a,13bDevices for sample preparation WWater SSink water

Claims

1. System (1) for determining the necessity of an action and / or a success of an action on water (W), comprising means for providing the retentate (6), which is a filter cake, from a first water filter (4a) and a second water filter (4b) in a conduit (2); and two measuring / analyzing means (7a, 7b) for examining and / or analyzing the retentate (6) with respect to at least one property or its chemical composition, wherein the first water filter (4a) is used for filtering larger particles and the second water filter (4b) is used for filtering smaller particles in the water (W), wherein the first water filter (4a) and the second water filter (4b) are each a self-cleaning filter with a respective suction scanner (10a, 10b), and wherein the suction scanners (10a, 10b) are each connected to a measuring / analyzing device (7a, 7b) via a valve (11a, 11b) and a supply line (12a, 12b).