Although water purification technology is complicated to understand, it is important that you know more about the different methods of water purification so that you understand the type of water filtration system you need to install in your home. While the technology that purifies water tries to ensure that clean water reaches our homes, it does not necessarily mean that the water coming from the taps in your home is free from contaminants.
There are many methods of purification but just a few and most commonly used methods are listed here. Clean drinking water has always been the lifeline of many homes. A few decades ago, we could drink tap water without any worries or qualms, but today the idea of clean drinking water cannot truly be achieved without proper water purification technology.
• Distillation: This is one of methods of purification that has been used for decades. It is the simplest form of water purification technology wherein you heat the water to reach boiling point. Water, with a low boiling point, vaporizes and the vapors are collected in a separate container where it cools regains it liquid form. This method has its disadvantages. The boiling strips the water of its essential minerals and does nothing about the chemicals. In addition, the system used for distillation needs constant care and maintenance, and is more suited for industries than homes.
• Reverse Osmosis: Many consider this method of purification as the state-of-the-art water purification technology. Although it was initially designed for commercial use, reverse osmosis has been redesigned so that it can be used even at homes. However, be careful when using this water purification technology as it requires a lot of electricity, removes minerals, does not remove bacteria and creates a whole lot of waste water. In addition, the unit cost of each system may not suit all as a reverse osmosis system is quite expensive.
• Chlorination: The discovery of chlorine as one of the methods of purification was giant step towards purifying water. Disinfectant properties of chlorine were successfully used to purify water and we saw water-borne diseases like cholera and typhoid becoming diseases of the past. However, today chemical toxins and parasites present in water pose a bigger threat and chlorine cannot handle these.
• UV Radiation: One of the less common methods of water purification is using UV radiation to remove germs and bacteria from water. However, many consider this water purification technology as an advanced one and it is extremely cost effective. Unfortunately, this system of purification is not designed to be used at home.
• Carbon Filtration: One of the most effective ways of purifying water and can be used in commercial as well as residential settings. It is inexpensive, does not require electricity, removes chemical contaminants, removes unpleasant odors, and improves the taste of water. All you have to worry about is changing the filters regularly. However, changing times and technologies demand that we use more effective filtration system that can handle even dissolved pharmaceuticals and prescription drugs found in our drinking water.
• Multi-stage Filtration: This is the most advanced water purification technology which uses many technologies to purify water. This filtration system uses a combination of carbon filtration, ion exchange and sub-micron filtration to produce really purified water. It removes sediments, chlorine, lead, synthetic chemicals, prescription drugs, pharmaceuticals and chlorine resistant organisms like giardia. Unlike other methods of purification, multi-stage filtration maintains the natural mineral balance of water and can be used in homes at all water outlets. Using this method of purification you can get healthy and great-tasting water at an extremely reasonable cost.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Daniel_Steven_Acker |