Water Filtration

Water filtration has come a long way over the years and new methods of filtration are coming up everyday. New water filter materials are being invented in a bid to convert the water we have into a potable commodity. Many countries that suffer from water shortage including the United States are now able to produce water that is safe to drink from water that was previously contaminated by a variety of undesirable compounds including salt.

One of the new technologies in water filtration is membrane filtration. Membrane filtration is able to remove parasites like Giardia and Cyrptosporidium that are resistant to chlorine as well as bacteria. Even if the initial water sample is highly contaminated, membrane filtration is able to produce potable water that is purer than deep artesian well water, or water from unspoiled reservoirs. Membrane filtration is an excellent water filtration material for locales that have to treat salt water. Some of these include Texas, Florida and California.

Membrane filtration’s growing demand is driven by Federal regulations that are becoming increasingly stringent on water drawn from surface sources for human consumption. Demand for this new water filtration method is also high in the Middle East where water is produced through the desalination of ocean water. They are now being used increasingly to clean water for domestic and industrial use.

Another new water filtration system in the market is Ultrazur 450. This new system uses Nylatron M AQS as the base product to filter water. The reason it was selected was that it is high in mechanical strength, corrosion resistant and lightweight. Nylatron M AQS is compliant with FDA regulations and is a certified product for water contact. One of these filtration units is able to process water at a rate of 10,000m³ per day. This filtration system has columns containing membranes of acetate fiber. Untreated water is then pumped up the columns and purified water exits at the top. This is done continuously and includes phases of retro rinsing. The nylon material used is made by a casting process.

A third new water filtration method is using a magnetic unit. Water is passed over a magnetic field, which rearranges the atoms in it. This does not however split the water ions. The magnetic unit is used to turn hard water into soft water. This also binds chemicals in the water making it safe to drink. The disadvantage with this method is that the water must be consumed quickly or it will revert to its previous hard state.

Additional new materials are Far Infra Red Systems, which are a natural energy form and are used to make water soft. They also charge it negatively and break it into small molecules that help hydrate the body. Catalytic conversion water filters take heavy metals, pollutants, viruses and chlorine and convert them into an oxidized form that is harmless.

There is much to be said about the new inventions. Moreover, with the environmental decay of surface water creating a water shortage crisis new material will be discovered for water filtration.

An Ezine article

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What’s new in water purification products? Now, we have the ability to choose from a variety of advanced water purification systems for home use.

There are portable personal purifiers, kitchen counter units, whole house units and shower head filters. They are all very affordable and well worth the investment. The type of water purification products that you need depends a great deal on the contaminants you are faced with.

In most homes, chlorine is a problem. The taste and the odor are unpleasant. Some people are allergic. Consumption causes digestive problems, even in your pets. Showering or bathing causes dry skin and hair. So, chlorine removal is a must in water purification systems for home owners.

You know that chlorine is present, because you can smell it, taste it and sometimes see it. But, whenever it is used for disinfection, it creates byproducts that are invisible and impossible to detect without testing.

If you are serviced by a treatment facility, there’s no need to test for the byproducts. They are there. They are referred to as THMs or trihalomethanes and only adsorption water purification products can remove them.

The health risks of THM exposure are numerous. There is an increased risk of bladder and colorectal cancer. There are 700 new annual cases in Canada alone, according to recent estimates by researchers asked to determine the costs for healthcare of these individuals.

One study indicates that drinking chlorinated tap-water during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage. Another showed that THM exposure during pregnancy increases the risk of birth defects like cleft palate. If you are pregnant, you probably need a number of different water purification systems for home use, because exposure can occur from drinking, showering or even standing next to a boiling pot of unfiltered water.

If you frequently swim in a chlorinated pool and you are exposed to THMs at home, researchers say that your cancer risk is “unacceptable”. But, don’t give up swimming. Just get a couple of water purification products. One for the kitchen and one for your showerhead should be enough to reduce your risks.

Lead contamination is a big problem in many areas. It was commonly used to line pipes and to solder joints together. It seeps into the water-supply as it passes through the pipes. Testing is conducted at the facility, but it is still found in many homes.

Ion exchange water purification systems for home owners will remove lead and copper ions. They are exchanged for potassium and sodium, so you keep your electrolytes balance, get something good tasting and avoid lead at the same time.

When you are travelling, you can carry bottles that you purified at home or you can carry a portable purifier. In most cases, the type that removes lead and chlorine is sufficient. But, if you are travelling abroad, you may want to take a portable UV disinfection device to kill unfamiliar bacteria. You don’t want diarrhea to spoil your trip.

Whole house units are smaller and less expensive than they used to be. In some cases, it may be less expensive than multiple water purification products scattered around the house. Hopefully, this information helped you decide what water filtration products you need around the house and on the go.

An Ezine article

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1364647

Written by Ariel Schwartz

Published on September 15th, 2008
Originally posted in Clean Technica.com

Nanotechnology seems to be invading all facets of modern life, from the pills you take to the batteries that power your iPod. Pretty soon, carbon nanotubes may even filter your water.

Researchers at the Bhabha Atomic Research Center in India are investigating the hollow carbon fibers as a potential water filter. They believe the unique chemical properties of nanotubes mean that only water molecules can pass through their interiors, while toxic metal ions, viruses, and bacteria cannot.

Additionally, the smooth, water-repellent interior of the nanotubes means that a filter made from the technology would have a high flow rate of water without fouling—so it would be very efficient.

But there’s still plenty of work to be done before carbon nanotubes are a viable option for filtering. The Indian research team is currently trying to engineer nanoscale structures to form arrangements that can efficiently decontaminate water.

With the rapid rise of contaminated drinking water around the world, solutions are desperately needed. Since poor countries are more likely to lack access to drinking water, a carbon nanotube filter will be most useful if it is both simple and cheap to operate and maintain. And if that massive hurdle is surpassed,  developing nations may suddenly be a lot better off.

Established by the U.S. EPA Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water, the Drinking Water Academy (DWA) is a long-term training initiative whose primary goal is to expand EPA, State, and Tribal capabilities to implement the 1996 Amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). In addition to providing classroom and Web-based training, the DWA will act as a resource for training materials pertaining to SDWA implementation. EPA formed the DWA to help EPA, States, and Indian Tribes enhance program capability to meet the public health protection objectives of the SDWA requirements. The 1996 SDWA Amendments created a number of new programmatic challenges for the States, Tribes, and the water systems they regulate. The Amendments also provided new funding opportunities to meet these growing needs. DWA training will support EPA, State, and Tribal efforts to implement these new regulations.

Today, the DWA is highlighting the importance of sanitary surveys in protecting our nation’s drinking water. When conducted properly by qualified personnel, sanitary surveys reduce the risk of waterborne disease; provide an opportunity to educate system operators; identify systems needing technical or capacity development assistance; and identify candidates for enforcement action. The DWA provides sanitary survey training and other resources to upgrade and maintain the ability of inspectors to conduct comprehensive, technically sound sanitary surveys of small water systems. These surveys have been invaluable to homeowners and business people when deciding on the best water filtration system or purifier for their drinking water needs.

For more information visit www.epa.gov

A $490-million plant will clean effluent to state standards, then inject it into the groundwater basin for further filtration.

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Researchers at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science today announced they have developed a new reverse osmosis membrane that promises to reduce the cost of seawater desalination and wastewater reclamation.

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A water cooler (commonly abbreviated “watercooler”) is a device that cools and dispenses water. They are generally broken up in two categories: bottle-less and bottled water coolers. Bottle-less water coolers are hooked up to a water supply, while bottled water coolers require delivery (or self pick up) of water in large bottles from vendors.

The most common form of water cooler is Read the rest of this entry »

Military chiefs are excited because the bottles, which can distill either 4,000 litres or 6,000 litres without changing the filter. The bottle can clean up any water - including fecal matter - using a filter that cuts out anything longer than 15 nanometres, which means that viruses can be filtered out without the use of chemicals.

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As an avid fan of all things sci-fi, I’ve always been quickly drawn to anything that uses words like “nanotechnology” undoubtedly because it just sounds cool, but also because I suppose I’m always secretly hoping that if I read on I’ll hear about some new scientific breakthrough that will deliver to the world that which until now was only in the mind of someone like Gene Roddenberry. Admittedly, the article “Water Filters Rely on Nanotech” may not have rivaled an episode of Star Trek, but to those of us living in the here and now Read the rest of this entry »