Types of contaminants that may exist in pure drinking water which cannot be tolerated in water used for microelectronics include:

1. Dissolved inorganic salts such as sodium and calcium salts. These are dissolved by the water as it flows through pipes, rocks and soil.
2. Dissolved organic compounds from industrial waste or living matter
3. Particulate matter such as metals and small silica particles from rock and soil.
4. Microbiological life that sustains itself on other contaminants.

Water containing these types of impurities must be purified to obtain to reach the levels in Table 1

Click here to view a list with the general methods of removing ionic and nonionic impurities.

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