The importance that the concept of sustainability has gained today carries significant weight, particularly in preventing, by all possible means, the generation of collateral damage to our planet, whether due to:
- Excessive use of natural resources – energy efficiency generated naturally or artificially, use of non-recyclable materials, and excessive water consumption
- The alteration of ecosystems through urbanization and development – reducing the space of healthy ecosystems, affecting soil quality and wildlife (both animal and plant)
- Or through direct pollution – caused by emissions of polluting gases or by discharge of hazardous waste into water and soil
For a long time, we have been concerned with ensuring that the technologies and materials we promote in projects for our clients within the pharmaceutical and medical device sectors are aligned with sustainability criteria, and that such proposals are established and promoted by our own manufacturers.
Equipment Evaluation for Total Organic Carbon Analyzers
The analytical technology for Total Organic Carbon (TOC) originated as a research and design project by NASA. NASA invited the entire scientific community to design an instrument capable of monitoring the quality of the water consumed by astronauts who would live on the International Space Station (ISS) for several months. Transporting thousands of liters of water for the station’s inhabitants proved completely impractical; therefore, it was proposed that a highly effective purification system would be required, along with a monitoring system capable of ensuring the purity of the water after purification.
The competition was won by researchers from the University of Colorado: Prof. Robert Sievers and Dr. Misha Plam. The winning instrument featured an analytical design based on conductivity measurement, after the organic substances present were oxidized and the resulting organic residues converted into CO₂ were separated through a conductometric membrane. The final conductivity reading was then processed via an algorithm that converted the values into TOC readings. This allowed for a highly precise and rapid quantification of organic residues present in the water once purified. The technology was first tested on the MIR space station, and later installed on the ISS in 1992. It was subsequently patented, and monitoring has since been carried out using conductometric membrane technology, specifically designed for this application.
Although in the late 1980s and early 1990s environmental care was not widely discussed, the foundations established through NASA’s proposal inherently carried the essence of sustainability: water purification and monitoring equipment for space stations needed to be efficient, have low consumption of energy and water per reading, be highly safe, fast, and reliable, and be very easy to use and maintain.
To date, the manufacturer Sievers has developed two additional generations of TOC analyzers using conductometric membrane technology, each one more efficient, more energy-saving (AC 110V, 60 Hz), requiring minimal sample water (2.0 mL per reading), and offering faster and fully reliable results. Today, these devices are also used for cleaning validation processes, as a high value-added application. Additionally, for several years now, these TOC analyzers have been included in a recycling program following “refurbishment” concepts, whereby certain components are reconditioned to extend the useful life of the equipment for many more years. The only elements known to be non-renewable are electronic boards that are no longer manufactured due to technological evolution.
Automated Material Washers
Material washing processes in both production facilities and analytical areas have evolved substantially in recent years. The truth is that for many years we lacked clear awareness of the enormous amount of water consumed in cleaning processes, especially when they were performed manually. There was no process control, nor knowledge of water volume, temperature, detergent and neutralizing agent quantities, nor of mechanical action applied — all due to the fact that it was a fully manual activity dependent entirely on the operator.
It is worth noting that justifying the initial investment cost of an automated material washer had historically been difficult, since this expenditure was often debated with finance departments, which considered it excessively high when compared with the salary of the operator performing manual cleaning.
However, fortunately, with the adoption of ESG (environmental, social and governance) frameworks, there is now a genuine commitment to reducing water consumption and operator strain by all possible means, without compromising the expected results of material cleaning in both analytical and production areas. It is also important to mention that cleaning validation criteria have been a determining factor, as cleaning processes remained uncontrolled for many years. Today, these processes can be fully validated, as they are reproducible due to having control of all parameters and variables: process time, washing and rinsing temperature, water volume, quantities of detergents and neutralizing agents, and mechanical action applied to the materials being washed. Finally, as an automated system, these processes may incorporate a drying phase using filtered, clean air according to established standards.
Chemical Cleaning Agents
Since the outset of our efforts to promote cleaning processes, we have sought to complement automated equipment with top-quality cleaning agents. These chemical agents — detergents, based on their function — were required to meet several sustainability criteria, as we aimed to avoid highly polluting wash process waste, whether due to excessive concentration and foam generation or through being non-environmentally friendly.
This led us to Swiss-manufactured products from Borer Chemie, a company with over 60 years of experience producing cleaning chemical agents for life science applications, which include the pharmaceutical and medical device sectors, as well as for industrial uses. Borer products hold numerous highly valuable and sustainability-compatible features:
- They are biodegradable
- They do not generate foam
- They are water-based
- They are designed to be effective at very low concentrations (0.5% to 2.0%)
In addition to these benefits, the manufacturer provides the basic formulation of the cleaning agents, globally required safety data sheets, and finally, the analytical methods for quantifying residual cleaning agents — this being a regulatory requirement mandated by authorities to ensure that residues are below acceptable limits.
Another point worth highlighting is that the manufacturer has the capability to assess special cases of cleaning challenges in industrial and life science applications and can design a complete, correct, and effective cleaning process to eliminate virtually all types of residues from any surface. This service is provided at no cost to interested parties. Under these criteria, we have confirmed that our manufacturer is fundamentally committed to ESG principles, applying them to all products and services we offer our clients.
Final Note
I can only conclude that our commitment to sustainability is absolutely firm, and we have extended it continuously for over 30 years, through the manufacturers we represent.