U.S. municipal drinking water / tap water is far from being clean and pure; considering the increased water contamination the need to purify and filter water of municipal sources becomes apparent. Current water treatment facilities are timeworn and municipal city water sources contaminated with pollutants; the problem of impure, unsafe and contaminated water is increasing at an alarming rate.

So the question is: Which water treatment solution / water filter system ensures the purest, cleanest and healthiest water for the family? The examination of two common water filtration & purification methods throws light on this question.

Water Distillation Systems Lack Effective Contaminant Removal

During the water purification process of distillation water is heated until it reaches its boiling point and begins to vaporize. A constant temperature is maintained to keep the heat and provide constant vaporization of the water. The process prohibits other undesirable elements from vaporizing (salts, metals, sediment – anything that won’t boil or evaporate – remains in the distiller and must be removed) and separates the water molecules from microscopic, disease-causing organisms; the pure (or mostly pure) steam leaves the non volatile contaminants behind.

When all water is vaporized, the vapor is led into a condenser and cooled down until it condenses back into liquid water, and runs into a receiving container. However, a carbon filter or other filters should be used along with a distiller to ensure the complete removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which will evaporate and condense with the water vapor.

Healthy Natural Trace Minerals Will Be Removed

Only activated carbon filters and KDF (Kinetic Degradation Fluxion) are able remove the molecularly smaller substances and chemicals like pesticides, herbicides and chlorine. Another disadvantage of Distillation Systems is the removal of naturally occurring and healthy minerals along with harmful contaminants. These minerals make the water tasty and support vital functions in our body system.

Water without these trace minerals can actually be unhealthy for the body. Long-term consumption of such de-mineralized water can be harmful to the body system and result in mineral deficiencies in the body. Above all, distillation does not remove pesticides, herbicides, and chlorine solutions.

Activated Carbon Filters Reliably Purify Water

The process of water filtration with Activated Carbon Filters is characterized through the flow of water through a granular bed of sand or another suitable media (e.g. several stages of carbon and multimedia filters). The media retains most solid matter and ensures the removal of all unwanted materials while permitting the water to pass. The first filtration stage will remove the most concentrated chemicals like chlorine and Trihalomethanes; subsequent stages will remove smaller and more evasive chemicals, like herbicides or pesticides.

Carbon Adsorbs Chemicals

Granular Activated Carbon Filter Systems clear water of larger compound materials (e.g. salt) and retain trace minerals in it, and also selectively remove much smaller and more dangerous chemicals like chlorine and pesticides, which Reverse Osmosis Systems can’t remove. These water filters use a chemical adsorption process (which means to attach by attraction). In this way a variety of dissolved contaminants are attracted to and held on the surface of the carbon particles. Above that, these systems do not require a heat or pressure source, which makes them fairly cost-effective.

Pesticides, solvents and other volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) are not completely removed by Reverse Osmosis Systems because the pores of the membrane are blocking only larger molecules. Only if an additional post carbon filter is used, these filters are effective and able to remove the molecularly smaller substances and chemicals like pesticides, herbicides and chlorine.

Conclusion

Granular Activated Carbon Filters are effective and valuable water treatment devices, but the consumer has to consider its limitations. One has to keep the water pressure at a uniform and steady flow rate that needs to be maintained for optimal performance, and the filter cartridge must be changed according to the manufacturer’s recommendation and/or the number of gallons the filter is rated for.

The most effective Home Water Filtration and Purification System currently available on the market is a Point-of-Entry Water Filter System, which combines two filtration technologies: Granular Activated Carbon and KDF process media, where water runs through several layers of GAC and KDF media for maximum exposure and purification.

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