Laboratory facilities need to consider the safety and health of experimental animals, with the goal of reducing variability in experiments, in order to achieve the best research environment. Therefore, the size of experimental animal cages, bedding, feeding, and environmental factors (light, temperature, humidity, air quality) should be carefully controlled.

Although tap water can sometimes be used for drinking by experimental animals, the composition of tap water may vary over time or seasons, and differences in laboratory results may arise from tap water from different regions. Therefore, in order to obtain reproducible and reliable experimental results, it is crucial to provide stable quality drinking water for experimental animals. In addition, some experimental animals (such as those used for immune experiments), or animals used for disease models, are more sensitive to their growth environment and require high-purity animal drinking water.

The following pollutants should be removed from the drinking water of experimental animals:

Organic matter

Some organic substances, such as insecticides and endocrine disruptors, may exist in tap water and not only affect the health of experimental animals, but also interfere with the progress of research. In addition, if there is still chlorine in the water, organic matter may form, which can have carcinogenic or reproductive effects on animals. Organic matter can sometimes become a nutrient for bacteria, thereby promoting their growth. Usually, organic matter can be removed using activated carbon or reverse osmosis methods.

bacterium

Bacteria may cause serious health problems in experimental animals, so they are the most important factor to be considered in equipment related to experimental animals. Immune deficient animals and genetically cloned animals are particularly sensitive to bacterial contamination. For example, a bacterial strain commonly found in water can pose a threat to the health of more vulnerable animals. The bacterial content in water is also reliably reduced through reverse osmosis.

heavy metal

High concentrations of heavy metals (such as copper, iron, zinc, lead, etc.) may be toxic to healthy experimental animals. These heavy metals may be released from the pipeline. Ions and metals in water can be significantly removed by reverse osmosis.

Hard water and water particles

Hard water and particles in the water may damage the valves of the automatic water supply system and cause water leakage in animal cages. The maintenance and upkeep needs of the water supply system will also increase relatively.

Chlorine disinfection

This method is widely used, but it is necessary to control the pH value of pure water because chlorine disinfection is less effective in high pH environments. The acceptable free chlorine concentration during chlorine disinfection is between 5-12 ppm.

Acid disinfection

Compared to chlorine disinfection, acidification is a more stable and long-lasting method in the system, but the disadvantage is that it requires the use of anti-corrosion agents together. In addition, the pH value needs to be adjusted to 2.6-3 for better results. However, animals may resist drinking water with a pH value below 2-5 due to poor taste.

In summary, reverse osmosis pure water is the most recommended method for purifying drinking water for experimental animals, as this method can remove most of the organic matter and ions in the water, thereby providing a stable quality of pure water. The pollutants in tap water may vary over time and seasons, so it is not suitable for drinking water for experimental animals. Deionized water purified by ion exchange resin may still contain organic matter and microorganisms, so it is not recommended to use it in drinking water for experimental animals.

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