New products 15Filtration+Separation July/August 2005

Polydisc filters ground water samples

International separationstechnology company WhatmanInc has launched the PolydiscGW, a ready-to-use in-line discfilter that can be used to prepareground water samples for theanalysis of dissolved heavymetals.

With itspre-rinsed,hydrophiliccelluloseacetatemembrane,the PolydiscGW filterhas beenspeciallydevelopedfor samplefiltration in trace analysis, thecompany reports. Whatman Incadds that the filter, which ishoused in a polypropylenematerial, meets the regulationsset out by the USEnvironmental ProtectionAgency and by NEN in Europe,for samples used to analyse

dissolved or suspended metals inground water.

Polydisc features a large filtersurface area. This has beenoptimised to provide 20.4 cm2 ofeffective area to ensure rapidcollection of samples.

Inaddition, itfeatures apre-testedquartz-fibre pre-filter andmembranefilter – ina sandwichdesign –which has

a high absorption capacity fordirt.

Polydisc GW joins Whatman’sportfolio of water monitoringproducts, following thecompany’s acquisition ofSchleicher & Schuell.

www.whatman.com

Pall releases showerhead in Europe

Pall has introduced its latest point-of-use filter showerhead in Europe,designed to protect againstpathogens, including Legionellaspp., found in water used forshowering, bathing and otherhygienic procedures, reports thecompany.

Hospitals areincreasinglyturning topoint-of-usefiltration toprotect patientsfromwaterbornepathogens, acontributor to healthcare-associated infections, Pall reports.

The Aquasafe disposableshowerhead is a CE markedmedical device that removesbacteria and protozoa for up to 14days, claims Pall.

“The new showerhead is theoptimal barrier to waterbornemicroorganisms especially for areaswith high-risk or

immunocompromised patients,”says Dr. Stefan Rother, globalmarketing manager – hospitalwater at Pall.

Although Legionella spp. is themost widely recognized waterbornebacteria, it is far from the only

microorganismthat threatenshospitalpatients.Recent studiesestimate thatthere areapproximately1,400 deaths inthe US aloneannually due to

water-associated nosocomialpneumonia from Pseudomonasaeruginosa infections. P. aeruginosais a potentially lethal bacteriumespecially for people withweakened immune systems.Further exacerbating the problemis the bacteria’s dramatic andgrowing increase in resistance toantibiotic treatment.

www.pall.com