When drinking water straight out of the tap, there are a few factors to consider depending on the country you are living in. Not all tap water is good for you. Some water has toxic elements in them that not many know about. We take a look at this and some other aspects such as the different types of water filters you should consider investing in to drink safe and clean water for better health.

Chemicals Present In Drinking Tap Water

There have been studies done by certain countries, such as the UK for example, of the drinking water and various toxic chemicals found in it, which are manmade. Click here to read more. These toxins have been known to cause various types of cancers and other unfavorable health conditions such as causing miscarriages, reducing the quality of sperm in males, thyroid disease, testicular cancer, disruption of the endocrine system and causing early menopause in women, to name a few.

“Forever chemicals” or PFAS or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are hard to break down within any environment and include chemicals such as repellents, disinfectants, grease, substances, cookware and foams, and even parts of furniture. When these are disregarded in the environment, they become part of the soil, water, animals and are present in human blood as well.

Water companies do not regularly test these waters for PFAS and there is constant pollution coming from different sectors including aviation, households, automobile, car washes and landfills to name a few.

In the US, there have been several class action cases against water companies, and over USD 4 billion has been spent in liabilities from the negative consequences of these “forever chemicals” which have been polluting the drinking water and causing severe health conditions to its citizens.

In similar instances, Australia and Italy, have also had their fair share of cases where industry contaminants have risked the lives of over 300,000 people because these toxins leaked into the water system: https://www.endsreport.com/article/1705418/forever-chemicals-firms-pay-4bn-toxic-pfas-liabilities

To avoid these things from happening to you and your family, the solution lies in one thing – water filters. There are various types of water filters, and we will look at a few of the common ones below.

Different Types of Water Filtering Systems

Two factors that affect the water that comes out of the filters is the type of water and the method of filtration. The biochemical properties of certain types of water may be different, including the water pressure and the materials as well as the pipe specs, which will all affect the outcome of the water you drink.

There are 5 different filtration methods available on the market, include:

Ion Exchange

Another type of water filtration system is that of the ion exchange filter. Commonly used to soften hard water, it contains sodium and hydrogen ions which react with the water to remove the commonly found substance in our kettles known as calcium. It can also get rid of magnesium and thus minimizes limescale buildup.

This is highly beneficial in kitchen taps and areas where you would make tea and coffee, as well as in your shower and bathroom taps. If you have ever seen advertisements of tiny beads inserted in shower hoses, this is what they are comprised of.

Absorption

This type of carbon filtration technique is also just as effective as any other and filters out contaminants within liquids because of the carbon, which works on the internal surfaces of all pipes, quickly and gets rid of the majority of chemicals such as chlorine, for instance.

Granular activated carbon is a common addition to many organizations water systems because this additionally gets rid of unwanted tastes and odors too. Although they may be more expensive than the others, it is worth the investment and are highly effective.

Another type of water filters is the one that works by the absorption method, this method is usually done by carbon as it is highly effective in filtering out contaminants in liquids. Carbon works quickly thanks to its internal surface that’s full of crannies and nooks. These holes in the middle can trap a lot of impurities like chlorine. Other natural additives companies use are wood and coconut shells to help filter the water.

Reverse Osmosis

Reverse Osmosis dissolves magnesium, calcium and chlorine by forcing them into semipermeable films by using pressure, when the water passes through them, leaving behind the contaminants and sending them through clean water.

The combination of absorption and filtering of the chemicals is a highly effective one and reverse osmosis forces the debris out and does not need electricity to fulfil its purpose. It is however a multi-stage system and can be quite expensive.

Mechanical

One of the 5 different methods includes the mechanical one. This is mainly installed to get rid of common sediments such as dirt, soil, larger particles, that are present in the main underground water supply. Fitted with a mesh material, they help to stop debris from getting through to the pipes and into our kitchen taps.

The mesh has an ultra-porous structure that traps fine particles and can also remove any bacteria and pathogens from the water. They come in 3 common sizes, namely, the 0.5 microns mesh which removes cysts, giardia and cryptosporidium. You also get the slightly bigger ones that are 1 micron and they remove microscopic particles, and lastly, the 5 microns ones which stop debris that is visible to the naked eye and can be manually separated.

Sequestration

Sequestration filtering works by segregating any substances at a chemical level. Food-grade polyphosphate is used to inhibit the various chemicals in the water, such as calcium and magnesium. Also, a good option to reduce limescale and corrosion in your taps.

It is good to know that this method does not necessarily remove the chemicals, but rather inhibits them, turning hard water soft and preventing scaling of the internal pipes. It is good to use this in combination with other systems to achieve the best outcome, as some may not find it very efficient on its own.

It’s all about choosing the right one for your home and your family based on your budget and needs.