EN 12873-2 Impact of Materials on Water Intended for Human Consumption - Impact Due to Migration - Part 2: Test Method for Non-Metallic and Non-Cemented In-Situ Applied Materials

A European standard “EN 12873-2 Impact of materials on water intended for human consumption - Impact due to migration - Part 2: Test method for non-metallic and non-cementitious in-situ applied materials” describes a procedure for determining the migration of substances from non-metallic and non-cementitious in-situ applied materials intended for use in contact with water intended for human consumption.

This procedure applies to in situ applied materials intended for use under various conditions for the transport and storage of water intended for human consumption. This includes raw water used for the production of water intended for human consumption. This procedure covers the removal of substances from materials by water after they have been applied in situ.

This standard applies to materials whose physical or chemical properties change during or after in-situ application, such as coatings, paints and adhesives. It also includes some in-situ applied materials that do not change in this way, such as greases or lubricants.

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

• Material refers to manufactured products that come into contact with water for on-site application and subsequent human consumption.
• Product refers to the applied product that comes into contact with water for human consumption in its finished form after on-site application.
• Test water is the water used for migration testing.
• Prewash water is the water used for prewashing.
• Blank water is test water that is held under the same specified conditions as migration water but does not come into contact with the test pieces.
• Migration refers to the movement of a substance or substances from the test pieces into the test water.
• Migration period refers to the time period during which migration is carried out under specified conditions. The time period can be 24 or 72 hours.
• Migration water is the water after the test water has been exposed to a test piece under specified conditions.
• Migration rate expresses the mass (in mg) of one or more measured substances migrating from one square decimetre of a test piece into the test water in one day at a specified temperature.
• Linings are layers of materials applied in the field as a finished product intended to come into contact with water intended for human consumption, for example the internal surfaces of pipes, fittings or storage vessels. Excludes layers such as coatings not intended to come into contact with potable water, for example those applied to the external surfaces of pipes and fittings for corrosion protection.
• Curing refers to the transformation of a material into its final form, for example through chemical reaction or drying.

Each test piece is taken or prepared in the field under specific conditions intended to simulate field application, taking into account the written instructions of the manufacturer. Each test piece is subjected to a specific pretreatment procedure consisting of stagnation and prewashing. The surface of the test piece, practically exposed to water intended for human consumption, is brought into contact with the test water for at least three consecutive migration periods.

A migration period is one of the following:

• 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 (warm water test) or 2 degrees plus/minus 24 degrees (hot water test).

Migration rates for the first three migration periods are determined by analysing the required substances in the relevant migration waters. The number of successive migration periods to be undertaken may be specified by reference to product standards or national regulatory authorities.

The test is carried out under conditions that will facilitate the calculation of a reliable migration rate. These conditions are not designed to simulate any actual usage conditions. The results obtained from this procedure are related to actual usage conditions using a conversion procedure. This procedure is specified in product standards or relevant regulatory regulations.

The selection of the test water type (chlorinated and/or non-chlorinated), the temperature of the test water, and the number of additional migration periods are specified in product standards or relevant legal regulations.

If testing in a warm or hot environment is required, relevant legal regulations may require additional cold water testing.

The manufacturer should provide a copy of detailed application instructions accompanying the materials. These instructions should cover such matters as:

• Surface preparation
• Mixing ratios and mixing method
• Application method
• Minimum curing temperature and time
• Product film thickness
• Associated materials (e.g. primers and sub-coats)

The manufacturer must provide all necessary information on material and chemical safety. Test pieces are prepared in the test laboratory by the test laboratory in accordance with the manufacturer's written instructions.

Our organization has a strong staff that closely follows the developments in the world in the field of science and technology and constantly improves itself. Among the numerous test, measurement, analysis and evaluation studies provided for businesses in various sectors, there are also appropriate testing services in accordance with the standard “EN 12873-2 Impact of materials on water intended for human consumption - Impact due to migration - Part 2: Test method for non-metallic and non-cemented on-site applied materials”.