This slide presentation reviews the results of the chemical analysis of the potable water supply from the International Space Station (ISS) expeditions 16 thru 20. Both Russian ground water and shuttle-transferred water are available for the use of the ISS crew's requirements. This is supplemented with condensate water and water form the Water Recovery System (WRS). An overview of the condensate H2O recovery system is given and the WRS is described and diagrammed. The water quality requirements, the handling, and analytical methods for the inorganic and organic tests are reviewed. The chemical analysis results for expeditions 16-20 archival water samples collected from the various water sources indicate that all of the ISS potable water supplies were acceptable for crew consumption

Plumlee, Debrah K.

Schultz, John R.

Straub, John E., II

NASA Technical Reports Server

ISS Expeditions 16 thru 20: Chemical Analysis 
Results for Potable Water
John E. Straub II, Debrah K. Plumlee, 
and John R. Schultz
Wyle Integrated Science & Engineering Group
40th International Conference on Environmental Systems
July 2010
Barcelona, Spain
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=20100030594 2019-08-30T11:07:43+00:00Z
Presentation
 Background:
 ISS Potable Water Systems
 Water Quality Requirements
 Expeditions 16 through 20:
 Returned Sample Summary
 Sample Handling & Analysis
 SRV-K Samples Analytical Results
 SVO-ZV Samples Analytical Results
 WPA and PWD Samples Analytical Results
 Conclusion
 Recommendations
Russian Segment Potable Water Systems
 Stored potable water system (SVO-ZV) 
provides crew access to following sources: 
 Russian ground-supplied potable water
→ Launched on Progress in Rodnik tanks (210-liter)
 Shuttle-transferred potable water
→ Fuel cell water is first deiodinated 
→ Mineralized with formate salts (Ca & Mg)
→ Transferred to ISS in contingency water containers 
(CWC's)
SVO-ZV Stored Potable Water System
 Rodnik or CWC potable water is transferred to a 
22-liter EDV tank
 Hand pump provides pressure to EDV bladder
 Crews can access water at ambient temperature 
from the SVO-ZV dispenser
Water Sampling from SVO-ZV 
Russian Segment Potable Water Systems
 Condensate H2O recovery system (SRV-K):
 Processes humidity condensate direct from 
Russian Service Module air conditioning unit
 U.S. Lab condensate in CWC can be processed 
using Condensate Feed Unit (CFU) 
 Container of Rodnik or CWC potable water can 
be hooked for use as makeup water to 
supplement product water
SRV-K Condensate H2O Recovery System
FILTER
REACTOR
PHASE
SEPARATOR
AIR VENT
PUMP
QD SAMPLE 
PORT
MULTIFILTRATION
BEDS
CONDITIONING
BED
WATER
STORAGE
TANK
EXCHANGER
GALLEY WARM 
WATER PORT
GALLEY HOT 
WATER PORT
MECHANICAL
FILTER
MAKEUP
WATER INPUT
PACKAGE
SERVICE MODULE
CONDENSATE
CONDENSATE
FEED UNIT
US LAB 
CONDENSATE
IN CWC
PUMP
PACKAGE
REGENERATIVE
HEAT
EXCHANGER
HOT WATER
RESERVOIR
PUMP
PACKAGE
SERVICE MODULE
CONDENSATE
CONDENSATE
FEED UNIT
U.S. LAB 
CONDENSATE
IN CWC
POTABLE
SRV-K Process Description
 Receives humidity condensate direct from Service 
Module cabin air heat exchanger
 Condensate Feed Unit (CFU) for processing US Lab 
condensate from CWC 
 Filter reactor:
 Oxidizes alcohols, glycols, polar organics to organic 
acids and CO2 using 2-phase  flow to supply oxygen
 Gas/liquid separator 
 Multifiltration treatment beds:
 Ion exchange resins and activated carbon
 Conditioning bed: 
 Adds biocidal silver & minerals (Ca, Mg, & F) for taste 
 10-liter storage tank (KЛB) upstream of galley
 Galley:
 Pasteurizing tank (525 mL)
 Hot and warm dispensing ports
SRV-K Condensate Feed & Makeup Water
Water Sampling from SRV-K Galley 
US Segment Potable Water System
 Water Recovery System (WRS):
 Urine Processor Assembly (UPA) processes pretreated 
urine by distillation and delivers distillate to a wastewater 
tank where it is combined with humidity condensate.
 Water Processor Assembly (WPA) processes the 
combined wastewater to potable water using multifiltration 
and thermal catalytic oxidation, adds iodine biocide, and 
stores product water for delivery to the potable water bus.
 The Potable Water Dispenser (PWD) receives WPA product 
water direct from the bus and dispenses either hot or 
ambient water after removing iodine at the point of use.
 The UPA, WPA, PWD, and Total Organic Carbon Analyzer 
(TOCA) were delivered in November 2008 and a 90-day 
checkout of the integrated water system was completed 
before approval for consumption was given in May 2009.
US Segment Potable Water System
Potable Water 
Dispenser 
PWD 
(I2 removal)
I2 CWC
PWR EMU
Payloads
RE
FH
Waste & Hygiene 
Compartment          
WHC
U
rine –
Plum
bed to U
PA
Urine Processor 
Assembly
Water Delivery ORU
Urine 
processing
Brine
Tank
WPA 
Waste 
Water 
tank
Waste water 
processing
Water Processor 
Assembly
Waste Water Bus
Waste Water Bus
Condensate
OGS 
Oxygen 
Generation 
System
O
G
S Reject W
ater 
(iodinated)
EMU Waste Water 
(iodinated)
Payload 
condensate
Crew
 &
 hygiene  
condensate
Flush 
EDV
WPA 
Product 
Water 
tank
UPA 
Waste 
Water 
Tank
Potable Water Bus
Archival 
Sample
SM 
EDV-U
REFH
Crew 
Consumption
(post 90-day C/O & 
archival sample 
analysis)
TOCA
Sampling at Potable Water Dispenser (PWD) 
ISS Water Quality Requirements
 The ISS Program has established a water quality 
and monitoring program for regenerated and stored 
potable water
 System Specification for ISS, SSP 41000, specifies 
water quality requirements for US potable water
 ISS Medical Operations Requirements Document 
(MORD) specifies:
 Water quality requirements for RS potable water sources 
and Shuttle-transferred water
 Archival water sampling schedules:
→ Monthly from SRV-K port (alternating Hot & Warm)
→ Monthly from SVO-ZV port
→ Monthly from PWD ports (alternating Hot & Ambient)
Expeditions 16-20 Returned Samples
 Expedition 16:              7 samples
 SRV-K hot:  2/26/08
 SRV-K warm:  11/30/07, 1/8/08, 2/4/08
 SVO-ZV:  11/30/07, 1/8/08, 2/26/08
→5 returned on STS-122/1E; 2 on STS-123/1JA
 Expedition 17:            10 samples
 SRV-K hot:  4/16/08, 5/30/08, 8/27/08
 SRV-K warm:  4/13/08, 4/16/08, 8/27/08 
 SVO-ZV:  4/13/08, 4/16/08, 5/30/08, 10/21/08
→3 returned on Soyuz 15; 4 on STS-124/1J; 3 on Soyuz 16
Expeditions 16-20 Returned Samples
 Expedition 18:              42 samples
 SRV-K hot:  7/25/08, 10/8/08, 12/16/08, 2/19/09
 SRV-K warm:  7/2/08, 9/1/08, 11/11/08, 1/12/09
 SVO-ZV:  7/2/08, 7/25/08, 9/1/08, 10/8/08, 11/11/08, 12/16/08, 1/12/09, 
2/19/09, 4/5/09
 PWD Aux: 11/26/08, 3/25/09
 PWD Ambient: 1/2/09, 1/14/09, 1/21/09, 1/30/09, 3/18/09, 3/25/09, 4/2/09
 PWD Hot: 12/12/08, 12/19/08, 12/29/08, 1/30/09, 3/23/09
 WPA RIP: 11/22/08, 11/25/08, 11/26/08 (2), 12/8/08, 2/9/09, 2/27/09, 
3/10/09, 3/25/09 (2), 4/2/09
→15 returned on STS-126/ULF2; 24 on STS-119/15A; 3 on Soyuz 17
Expeditions 16-20 Returned Samples
 Expedition 20:              21 samples
 SRV-K hot:  5/4/09, 7/22/09
 SRV-K warm:  4/9/09, 7/7/09, 8/4/09
 SVO-ZV:  4/9/09, 5/4/09, 7/7/09, 7/22/09, 8/4/09, 9/22/09
 PWD Ambient: 4/15/09, 5/4/09, 6/16/09, 7/24/09, 8/4/09, 9/22/09
 PWD Hot: 6/16/09, 7/24/09, 8/4/09, 9/22/09
→14 returned on STS-127/2JA; 4 on STS-128/17A; 3 on Soyuz 18
Sample Handling & Analysis
 Samples returned on Soyuz were received by the 
Russian side and the U.S. portions flown back to 
Houston on a NASA jet using coolers with ice 
packs.
 Samples returned on Shuttle were received by a 
Water and Food Analytical Laboratory (WAFAL) 
representative after the Shuttle landed, placed 
into coolers with ice packs, and hand-carried 
back to Houston on commercial airliners.
 Chemical analyses were performed at Johnson 
Space Center’s WAFAL using a combination of 
standard and custom analytical methods
Parameter
pH & conductivity
Total Dissolved Solids
Turbidity
Iodine & iodide
Fluoride
Inorganic anions & cations
Metals/Minerals
Method
Potentiometric
Gravimetric
Nephelometric
Leuco crystal violet (LCV)
Ion selective electrode (ISE)
Ion chromatography (IC)
Inductively coupled plasma-
mass spectrometry (ICP/MS)
Analytical Methods for Inorganics
Analytical Methods for Organics
Parameter
Total organic carbon (TOC)
Alcohols & glycols
Volatile organics
Semi-volatile organics
Organic acids & amines
Urea/Caprolactam
Formaldehyde
Method
Ultraviolet or heated persulfate 
oxidation
Direct Injection gas chromatography 
/mass spectrometry (GC/MS)
GC/MS with purge & trap concentrator 
(EPA method 524.2)
GC/MS after liquid/liquid extraction 
(modified EPA method 625)
Capillary electrophoresis (CE)
Liquid chromatography (LC) with UV 
diode array detector
GC/MS after derivatization & 
extraction
Expeditions 16-20 SRV-K Sample Results
(23 Samples)
Met all ISS MORD requirements except for 
manganese & total silver:
 Manganese:  <1 to 139 μg/L  (50 μg/L MORD)
 Well below 1000-d SWEG of 300 μg/L 
 Total silver:  7 – 895 μg/L  (500 μg/L MORD)
 High level in 1 sample is likely Rodnik water
 TOC:  0.25 to 20.7 mg/L  (20 mg/L MORD limit)
 All non-formate TOC levels below MORD
 Formate:  4.36 to 61.8 mg/L (5 samples) 
 Shuttle water used as makeup
 Nickel:  8 to 101 μg/L  (100 μg/L MORD)
Total & Non-Formate Organic Carbon 
in SRV-K Water Samples
 TOC below MORD limit for Expeditions 16 through 20
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
C
on
c.
 m
g/
L
Sample Collection Date
SRV-K TOC
SRV-K Non Formate TOC
SRV-K Formate TOC
ISS MORD Limit = 20 mg/L
E16 - E20
ISS Flight 4A to Soyuz 18
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
N
ic
ke
l (
µg
/L
)
Sample Collection Date
ISS Flight 4A to Soyuz 18
ISS MORD Limit = 100 µg/L
1000-day SWEG = 300 µg/L
E16 – E20
Nickel Levels in SRV-K Water Samples
 Nickel levels for E16 - E20 all below ISS MORD limit
Expeditions 16-20 SVO-ZV Sample Results
(22 Samples)
Met all ISS MORD quality requirements except 
for turbidity, manganese, and total silver:
 Turbidity:  0.2 to 9.5 NTU  (1.5 NTU MORD)
 Elevated turbidity not a direct crew health risk
 Manganese:  2 to 148 μg/L  (50 μg/L MORD)
 Well below 1000-d SWEG of 300 μg/L 
 Total silver:  36 to 834 μg/L  (500 μg/L MORD)
 High levels likely from Rodnik water as source
 TOC:  0.32 – 22.9 mg/L  (20 mg/L MORD limit)
 All non-formate TOC levels below MORD
 Formate:  48.6 to 80.6 mg/L (9 samples) 
 Shuttle water used as makeup
Turbidity, Formate, and Silver in SVO-ZV 
Water Samples
 Some E16 - E20 results exceeded the ISS MORD Total Ag limit
 Many results continued to exceed ISS turbidity limit but not 
considered a crew health risk
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
C
on
c.
(u
ni
ts
 in
 le
ge
nd
)
Sample Collection Date
ISS Flights 5A to Soyuz 18Turbidity (NTU)
Formate (mg/L)
Colloidal Ag (µg/L)
Total Ag (µg/L)
ISS MORD Total Ag limit = 500 µg/L
E16 – E20
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
C
on
c.
 µ
g/
L
Sample Collection Date
ISS MORD Limit = 50 
1000-day SWEG = 300 
E16 – E20
Manganese in SVO-ZV Water Samples
 Many E16 – E20 samples exceeded ISS MORD limit
 Not a crew health risk since well below 300 µg/L SWEG
ISS Flight 5A to Soyuz 18 
Expeditions 18-20 US Potable Water Samples
(35 samples)
All ISS quality requirements met except for nickel, total 
iodine, and turbidity:
 Nickel:   11 to 1690 μg/L (300 µg/L SSP 41000)
 High levels in 2 early RIP samples from stagnant pre-launch water
 Total I (at PWD needle):  <0.05 to 10.9 μg/L  (0.2 mg/L SSP 41000)
 High levels from iodine flushing needed to recover microbial control
 Turbidity:  <0.1 to 1.3 NTU (1.0 NTU limit SSP 41000)
 Elevated turbidity not a direct health risk
 TOC:  0.07 to 1.2 mg/L  (3 mg/L SSP 41000)
 Iron:  <5 to 261 μg/L  (300 μg/L SSP 41000)
0200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
Co
nc
en
tr
at
io
n 
(µ
g/
L)
Sample Collection Date 
ISS Flights ULF2 to Soyuz 18
Nickel (RIP & Aux Port)
Nickel (PWD Hot)
Nickel (PWD Ambient)
SSP 41000 Nickel Limit =  300 µg/L
Nickel in US Potable Water Samples
 PWD Nickel levels for E16 - 20 all below SSP 41000 limit
 High Ni in early RIP samples from stagnant pre-launch H2O 
Total I and I2 in US Potable H2O Samples
 Performed 40 mg/L iodine flush of PWD lines on 3/17/09
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Co
nc
en
tr
at
io
n 
(m
g/
L)
Sample Collection Date 
ISS Flights ULF2 to Soyuz 18
Total I  (RIP & Aux Port)
Iodine (RIP & Aux Port)
Total I  (PWD Ambient)
Total I (PWD Hot)
SSP 41000  Total I Limit =  6.0 mg/L
SSP 41000 Total I Limit (at consumption) = 0.2mg/L 
Total I = 10.9 mg/L 
at PWD Ambient 
after 40 mg/L 
iodine flush
TOC in US Potable H2O Samples
 TOC levels for E16 - E20 samples were all below ISS limit
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
Co
nc
en
tr
at
io
n 
(m
g/
L)
Sample Collection Date 
ISS ULF2 to Soyuz 18
TOC (RIP & Aux Port)
TOC (PWD Ambient)
TOC (PWD Hot)SSP 41000 TOC Limit =  3.0 mg/L
Average US Lab 
Condensate
TOC = 194 mg/L
050
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
Co
nc
en
tr
at
io
n 
(µ
g/
L)
Sample Collection Date 
ISS ULF2 to Soyuz 18
Iron (RIP & Aux Port)
Iron (PWD Hot)
Iron (PWD Ambient)
SSP 41000 Iron Limit =  300 µg/L
Iron in US Potable H2O Samples
 Iron levels for E16 - E20 samples were all below ISS limit
Conclusion
 Chemical analysis results for Expeditions 
16-20 archival water samples collected from 
SRV-K, SVO-ZV, RIP, and PWD indicate that 
all of the ISS potable water supplies were 
acceptable for crew consumption.
Recommendations
Continue discussions with Russian side to ensure 
that pre-launch Rodnik water silver levels are no 
higher than the limit of 500 μg/L
Continue investigating cause of elevated turbidity 
in SVO-ZV water
 Turbidity is a measure of particulates
 Bacteria can attach to particulates shielding them from 
disinfectants leading to increased risk of consuming 
contaminated water
Continue monitoring manganese, turbidity, total 
silver, and bacterial count in SVO-ZV, SRV-K, and 
Rodnik water
Continue to monitor total iodine, metals, and 
bacterial count in PWD water
Acknowledgments
 Wyle Laboratories Analytical Chemists:
 Jim Alverson Mickie Benoit Lydia Ding
 Dawn Dungan Mike Kuo             Esther Liu
 Jeff Rutz
NASA-JSC Technical Monitor:
 J. Torin McCoy
Russian Water Specialists:
 RSC-Energia – Peter Andreichuk & Elena Zapryagaylo
 Institute of Biomedical Problems – Yuri Sinyak and 
Sergei Harin
 NIICHIMMASH – Leonid Bobe



ISS Expeditions 16 Thru 20: Chemical Analysis Results for Potable Water

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