EN 12873-1 Effect of Materials on Water Intended for Human Consumption - Effect Due to Migration - Part 1: Test Method for Factory-Made Products Made from or Incorporating Organic or Vitreous (Porcelain/Vitreous Enamel) Materials

A European standard "EN 12873-1 Effect of materials on water intended for human consumption - Effect due to migration - Part 1: Test method for factory-made products made of or incorporating organic or vitreous (porcelain/vitreous enamel) materials" describes a procedure for determining the migration of substances from factory-made or factory-applied products intended for use in contact with water intended for human consumption. The materials used in the manufacture of such products include plastics, rubber and vitreous (porcelain/vitreous enamel) materials.

This European Standard applies to products intended for use under various conditions for the transport and storage of water for human consumption, including raw water used in the production of water for human consumption. It covers the extraction of substances with water from finished products.

For the purposes of this standard, the following terms and definitions apply:

• Product means a finished manufactured product or a component part of a manufactured product that comes into contact with water intended for human consumption.
• Homogeneous product refers to a product in which the surface in contact with water is made of the same material as the rest of the product.
• Non-homogeneous product refers to a product in which the surface in contact with water is made of a material different from the material that makes up the rest of the product.
• Fittings, accessories, complete functional units consisting of one or more components or materials whose parts are in contact with water, such as faucets, valves, water meters, water heaters, water filters, pipe connections and flexible hose assemblies.
• Trial water refers to the water used for migration testing.
• The migration period refers to the period during which the transition is carried out under certain conditions.
• Migration refers to the movement of a substance or substances from the test pieces into the test water.
• Migration water refers to the test water after exposure of a test piece under specified conditions.
• The migration rate expresses the mass (in mg) of a measured substance or substances migrating from one square decimeter of a test piece into the test water in one day at a given temperature.
• Membrane refers to the layer of material applied to a product and intended to come into contact with drinking water, the internal surfaces of pipes, fittings or storage vessels.
• Vitreous material refers to porcelain, vitreous enamel coating applied to various products that are in contact with water and produce or store water at high temperature.

In principle, each test piece is subjected to a specific pretreatment stagnation and prewashing procedure. In practice, the surface of the test piece exposed to water intended for human consumption is brought into contact with the test water during at least three successive breakthrough periods. A breakthrough period is one of:

• For products intended to come into contact with cold water, 23 hours at 2 degrees plus/minus 72 degrees
• For products intended to come into contact with hot or warm water, 60 hours at the specified temperature of 2 degrees plus/minus 85 degrees (hot water test) or 2 degrees plus/minus 24 degrees (hot water test)

Migration rates for the first three migration periods are determined by analysis of the required substances in the relevant migration waters. Reference product standards or national regulatory authorities may specify the number of sequential migration periods to be undertaken.

Testing is carried out under conditions that will facilitate the calculation of a reliable migration rate. These conditions are not meant to simulate actual conditions of use. A conversion procedure is used to relate the results obtained from this standard to actual conditions of use.

The choice of test water type (chlorinated or non-chlorinated), the temperature of the test water, and the number of additional transition periods are specified in product standards or national regulations.

If warm or hot temperature testing is required, national regulations may require additional cold water testing.

Among the numerous testing, measurement, analysis and evaluation studies that our organization has carried out for businesses in various sectors, our organization also provides testing services defined in the standard “EN 12873-1 Effects of materials on water intended for human consumption - Effects resulting from migration - Part 1: Test method for factory-made products made of or combining organic or vitreous (porcelain/vitreous enamel) materials” with its trained and expert staff and advanced technological equipment.