Water purification

Water purification is the process of removing unwanted chemicals, solids and gases
from contaminated water. The goal is to produce water safe to drink. Most water is
disinfected for humans to drink, but water purification may also be designed for
other purposes, including medical, pharmacological, chemical and industrial use.
You can use methods such as filtration, sedimentation, and distillation; bio
processes such as slow sand filters or biologically active carbon; chemical processes
such as flocculation and chlorination and the use of electromagnetic radiation such
as ultraviolet light.

Purifying water may reduce the concentration of particulate matter, parasites,

bacteria, algae, viruses, fungi, as well as reducing the amount of dissolved and
particulate material from the water that comes from runoff due to rain.

The standards of drinking water quality are typically set by governments or by

international standards. These standards usually include the minimum and
maximum concentrations of contaminants allowed, depending on the intended
purpose of water.
Just looking at the water cannot determine if water is safe to use. Simply using the
method of boiling or the use of a household activated carbon filter are not good
enough for treating all the possible contaminants that may be in water . Even
natural spring water was considered safe for all use in the 19th century. It must now
be tested before determining what kind of treatment is needed. microbiological and
chemical analysis are expensive but are the only way find out the information
needed for deciding on the method of purification.

According to a 2007 World Health Organization (WHO) report, 1.1 billion people
dont have access to a safe drinking water, 88 percent of the 4 billion annual cases
of diarrhea are caused due to unsafe water and improper sanitation and hygiene,
while 1.8 million people die from diarrhea each year. The WHO estimates that 94
percent of these diarrhea cases are preventable through improvement to the
environment, including access to safe drinking water. Simple techniques for treating
water at home are chlorination, filters, and solar disinfection, and storing it in safe
disinfected containers could save a huge number of lives. Reducing deaths from
drinking unsafe water is a major public health goal in developing countries.

There are three main different types of

water purification
Carbon filters
Pros of using carbon filters
1. Great for removing pesticides and chlorine
2. Inexpensive
Filters come in all shapes and sizes. Theyre one of the oldest and least expensive
options for purifying water. Carbon has always been the most popular filtering
medium, and probably more work has been done on tweaking and adapting carbon
for filtration purposes than on any other medium.
Cons:
Does nothing against bacteria
Not long-lasting

Ceramic filters
Pros:
Great against parasites and physical impurities
Easy to clean
Rust, dirt, parasites like Cryptosporidium and Giardia lamblia, and other impurities
can be easily removed from drinking water by forcing the water through the very
fine pores in ceramic material.
Con:
Ineffective against organic pollutants and pesticides

Copper-zinc systems
Pros:
Effectively removes chlorine, heavy metals
Another way to filter water is using a substance under the name KDF, uses
granules of copper and zinc alloy to purify water. The copper and zinc
molecules act like the positive and negative poles on a battery. As
contaminated water passes through the granules, certain particles are drawn
toward the zinc while others with a different charge are attach to the copper

Con: Ineffective against pesticides and organic contaminants