Using Detection Of Chlorides After Purification Of Reagent Water As A Measure To Determine Conformity With Minimal Grade Quality In Lagos Mainland, Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract

Less than 5pg of chloride content must be achieved to adjudge water distillation successful. The World Health Organisation (WHO) instructs that post distillation of water, 1ml of 1.7% solution of silver nitrate should be added to 10ml of the distillate with addition of 2 drops of Nitric acid to detect chloride compounds (e.g. calcium chloride). The water should remain perfectly clear. If slightly cloudy, the distillation process should be repeated. This study enquires into the compliance; with this and other similar ~ Standards, by Clinical Chemistry Laboratories in our locality. A total of 50 registered Clinical Chemistry Laboratories in Lagos Mainland of Lagos Nigeria were recruited in this cross sectional study, their reagent grade water sampled and tested using the above directives by WHO post informed consent. We used an accurate, sensitive and simple, novel methodology to do this. In this study, there is detection of significant concentrations of chloride in RGW of 100% of Laboratories studied with concentration range of 0.055mg/L - 38.760mg/L. Using chloride
concentration as a guide, there is failure of purification of water in all Laboratories studied.