Article Advise

submitted: Aug 16th 2008 | by: RichEng | Total views: 1 | Word Count: 578 | |

Now for a rundown of the latest water purification technology, as consumers use it at home or elsewhere. First we'll go over some methods of water purification that are no longer used.

Water purification technology was invented very early in human history, and distillation was the method. Distillation was commonly used to raise the alcohol content of various alcoholic beverages.

Some methods of water purification are appropriate for home, and this is one of them. What you would need is a commercial distiller and collection tank. You might also need a lot of time, if you plan on purifying a large amount of liquid - distilling does not produce quick results.

This is how distillation works: Fluid is turned to vapor when it comes into contact with a heating element. The vapor flows upward through piping, which leads to a cooling chamber, where the steam is cooled until becomes fluid again.

Compounds like lead, calcium and magnesium will remain in the first tank. Bacteria are destroyed by the heat. Chemical contaminants also become vaporous and pass through the tube along with the water. Cancer causing compounds such as THMs are not removed through distillation methods of water purification. Per gallon, the cost of use is 20 to 26 cents.

Reverse osmosis or RO was at one time considered advanced water purification technology. RO methods of water purification work by forcing pressurized liquids through a semi permeable membrane. Because, most inorganic contaminants are larger molecularly than water's molecules, certain contaminants and minerals are removed.

To get rid of smaller molecules, like pesticides, herbicides, and many other man-made compounds, a carbon filter is necessary in addition to RO. These two methods of water purification should be used together. However, the combination calls for considerable water pressure and maintenance, as well as the additional cost of a storage unit. Also consider that every gallon of purified water takes an hour to produce and several gallons of wastewater. The total cost of use: 18 to 24 cents per gallon.

Pitchers and carafe-style filters are handy and self-contained. The water purification technology that they employ is activated carbon and micron filtration to remove some chlorine and lead. They are expensive to purchase, but costly to maintain because the filters have a short life span. These methods of water purification cost about 25 cents per gallon.

The most advanced water purification technology for the kitchen is a multi stage system that combines a multi-media block, with granular carbon filters, sub-micron filtration and ion exchange. These methods of water purification are recognized by the US Environmental Protection Agency as the best water purification technology available for removing VOCs, THMs and chlorine.

The water purification technology that makes them effective is called adsorption. This is how adsorption methods of water purification work: A chemical or physical bond attaches the contaminant to the outside of the filter material. From there, ion exchange transforms lead atoms to harmless potassium, betters the pH level, and evens out the mineral volumes.

Multi-media blocks have a sub-micron pore structure that filters out sediment and cysts like Cryptosporidium and Giardia. This configuration also prevents water from channeling around the filter media. No wastewater is created. No electricity is required. This is by far the best and most economical water purification technology for today's busy homeowner. Per gallon, the cost is less than 10 cents.

About the Author

Prior to considering any drinking water system go to Rich Eng's website at http://www.clean-filtered-water.com to learn more about the methods of water purification he recommends after evaluating many systems.

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