Medical Oxygen Purity Requirements

Medical oxygen is oxygen used for medical purposes, such as oxygen given to a patient during surgery or after an accident until the patient can breath without a respirator. Oxygen is a necessity for living, so it is an important part of any medical facility. In the United States, the U.S. Pharmacopeia, a nongovernmental group, sets specific standards for medical oxygen.

Minimum Purity

• The minimum purity for medical oxygen is 99 percent oxygen with only 1 percent other gases mixed into the container. Medical oxygen used by a medical facility or for patients who use oxygen at home must meet the minimum requirements for purity set by the U.S. Pharmacopeia, or it is not given to patients.

Filling Oxygen

• Medical oxygen is filled in a very specific manner. The person filling up the oxygen tank will smell the tank before filling it, checking for an acetylene smell. The smell of acetylene means that the tank is not purified and thus any oxygen added to the tank will not meet medical standards for purity. If the container does not smell like acetylene, it is used for medical oxygen. If it does, the container is set aside for industrial use instead.

Odor Standards

• Medical oxygen cannot have an odor. According to CFC, oxygen is naturally an odorless gas. If it has an odor, it is not pure enough oxygen for medical use. An odor indicates that there is another gas mixed in with the oxygen.