Water Purification
How is water purified?
Water purification is the process of removing chemicals or water contaminants. It is necessary to purify water because humans need to drink and use it. Pharmacology, chemicals and industry need purified water too. There are three ways of purifying water namely: physical, biological and chemical process. Filtration and sedimentation methods are used for the physical purification of water. During filtration, the solids are separated from the liquid by using a medium that can let the fluid through; however, the solids are retained. The separation depends on the pore size of the medium as well as the mechanisms that occur during filtration.
Sedimentation is another way to purify water. It is used in a waste-water treatment plant. Sedimentation reduces the content of suspended solids and the contaminants in the water. During the biological process, water is filtered through slow sand filters or active sludge. In the chemical process, the purification occurs by flocculation, chlorination and by the use of electromagnetic radiation. Water purification reduces suspended particles, parasites, bacteria, algae, virus and fungi. In this unit, I will briefly discuss the simple ways of water purification that are boiling water and using activated carbon.
To keep drinking water safe, there are a few tips to keep in mind. When outdoors, avoid filtering water in places where human and animal activity is always present. For example, when you are in an open field or farm, do not filter water where it is close to the cows' or chickens' shed. Indoors, boil drinking water for at least one minute. According to an environmentalist, when water boils it kills bacteria, viruses and parasites. To remove water's after taste, leave the boiled water container and pour the water several times back and forth to another clean container. Another way to purify water is by adding iodine. This could only be done three times a week in order to avoid health issues. Iodine should not be taken by pregnant women. A person should wait 40 minutes before drinking water with iodine in it.
There are also water filters that are manufactured and sold in different stores. When using commercial water filters make sure that the filter is the best option for you. There are four different kinds of water filters namely: distiller, reverse osmosis, activated carbon water filters and backwash. Distillation is boiling water until it evaporates. As water vaporizes the contaminants are left behind. The water condenses into pure water. Dissolved oxygen is lost during this process. This process is not effective for chemicals like ammonia, trihaclomethanes, chloroform, trichloroethylene and phenol. The reverse osmosis process involves letting water pass through the membrane towards the more concentrated solution. Dissolved oxygen is not lost during this process and that is why the water has no after taste. Carbon filters are used to treat the taste and removes odors. Carbon absorbs the water contaminants.
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