Most humans can survive for several weeks without food. The body will gradually adjust and make use of stored proteins and fat to survive. Not so with water; a person can only go without it for a few days before they die of dehydration. This is why it is vital to life. It is therefore imperative to drink enough water daily as recommended.
The recommended daily intake is 11.5 cups (about 2.7 liters) a day for women and 15.5 cups (about 3.7 liters) per day for men. This is not cast in stone as several other factors can come into play. These include the weather, diet, a person’s health, environment, how active the person is, etc. It also varies from one human to another. You can learn more about this here.
Asides from drinking and consumption, water is a substance that has various utility uses. It is used in cleaning, washing, laundry, cooking, bathing, and so on.
With this substance so important to everyday life and living, it is no wonder that there is the desire that it should be pure and clean. This is why a lot of homes make the effort to buy filters to remove any form of impurities from it.
What is a Water Filter?
These are devices used to remove contaminants and impurities from water by using a fine barrier that prevents contaminants from passing through. It can as well involve a chemical or a biological process. These devices can be used in various forms or applications. These can include in the home, on farms, in ponds, swimming pools, and many others.
Filters can come in various shapes, sizes and using different methods or process for decontamination.
Common Processes and Technology Used in Filtration
Activated Carbon
This process is used by most household filters. Activated carbon or activated charcoal is a type of filtration process that uses carbon made by burning wood in the presence of reduced oxygen. This produces charcoal that has a vast internal surface with plenty of nooks and crannies or pores.
These pores help it to behave like a sponge, as it attracts as well as trap chemicals through adsorption. Adsorption is a process where gases and liquids are trapped by solids. It is great for removing impurities such as chemicals; solvents and pesticides.
The downside to using activated carbon is that over time, the filters get clogged and they need to be replaced.
Reverse Osmosis
This method involves forcing water through a membrane that has tiny pores. These pores will prevent contaminants from passing through but will allow water making it clean. This can be collected and the impurities are then flushed away.
Reverse osmosis is highly effective in removing impurities but they use pumps that are powered by electricity and can be quite costly. Also, in the process of filtration, it produces a lot of wastewater.
Distillation
Distillation involves boiling water which is probably the simplest way to purify it as this kills several bacteria and germs present therein. The challenge is, it does not remove other forms of contaminants like heavy metals, chemicals and so on.
With distillation, this is different. Steam is captured and it is condensed back into liquid as it cools in a container.
The process is effective because most contaminants boil at higher temperatures than water. This ensures that when it is boiled into steam, these contaminants have not reached their boiling point so they remain behind as the steam is separated.
Ion Exchange
These kinds of filters are effective at removing limescale and softening water. They work by separating atoms of a contaminant to make ions. These ions are then trapped before the useful ones are released. Less useful ions remain trapped.
Ion exchange filters are usually made from beads that contain sodium ions. When water that contains calcium and magnesium is poured in, the beads attract the calcium and magnesium while releasing the sodium. This makes it softer and tastes better. However, the sodium release is also a form of a contaminant that is less harmful and this cannot be explicitly said to be pure.
Asides from these, there is a need to keep recharging the filters by adding sodium ions through a special kind of salt periodically.
Types of Filter Systems Used in the Home
Whole House Filter
These are typically used in homes without tap water. They are installed into a tank or in a way that any water entering the home passes through them before it is distributed and used. The disadvantage is it is expensive to install and requires professionals to install it. You can check out this whole house water filter comparison to see how it compares with other forms of filtration.
Under Sink
These kinds of filters are typically installed under a kitchen sink. They are usually large and expensive and they can also process a large amount of water at a rapid rate. They are effective in removing germs and bacteria as well as other contaminants.
Faucet Filters
Faucet filters are small devices that are installed on a tap or faucet to remove impurities just before the water comes out of the faucet. They are inexpensive but they may have to be installed on each faucet in the home.
Countertop Filters
These work by connecting them to a faucet and as you turn on the faucet to use, it purifies the water. They are small devices but can still take up some space on your counter.
Showerhead Filters
These kinds are attached to your shower head so that it filters as you shower. They are good for places where the water contains considerable amounts of fluoride and chlorine which can cause skin irritation and dryness as well as hair loss. Using it helps bring about smoother skin and reduced hair loss.
You can read further on all these here https://healthykitchen101.com/types-of-water-filters/.
Conclusion
We need water daily to survive and carry out different tasks but there can be issues with the quality available to us. Thankfully, filtration systems help us to make the quality of water better before it is used. There are many advantages to using them. If you are not doing so at the moment, it is in your best interest that you do for your health.