Is An Ultraviolet Water Purifier The Best Way To Ensure High-Quality Drinking Water?
The ultraviolet water purifier is probably the most effective method of eliminating dangerous bacteria and viruses from water, no matter how large or small the amount.
Serious, even deadly diseases can hide in water that may look crystal clear and taste perfectly good. Any untreated water is suspect, from a clear mountain stream to your very own tap water.
Traditionally, municipal water systems have used chlorination as their standard method of disinfecting water to make it safe for drinking. Unfortunately, the addition of chlorine or other chemicals to water only removes some of the harmful organisms that may be present, while other chlorine-resistant microbes may be unaffected. Another unpleasant side effect of chlorination is the residual bleach smell and taste left behind by the chlorine. There have also been concerns about negative effects chlorine may have on people’s health.
An ultraviolet water purifier does not add any chemicals to the water, so there is no unpleasant smell nor are there any additives to ingest. Ultraviolet light also does not in any way change the taste or PH level of the water.
Many water treatment plants now use ultraviolet light systems as their primary source of sterilization because ultraviolet light is more than 99.99% effective at neutralizing an extremely wide range of microbiological contaminants from even large amounts of water.
An ultraviolet water purifier works by simply shining a high intensity ultraviolet light through the water, killing all microscopic organisms that the light comes in contact with by scrambling their DNA structures and rendering them sterile and unable to reproduce. A cell that is unable to reproduce is essentially dead and therefore no longer a threat.
No microscopic life forms are known to be resistant to ultraviolet light, therefore this method is very effective in eliminating bacteria, algae, viruses, yeasts and moulds as well as common threats like giardia and cryptosporidium. Serious waterborne diseases such as hepatitis, cholera, typhoid salmonella and e-coli are resistant to chlorine but easily eliminated when treated with ultraviolet light.
Although extremely effective against biological threats, ultraviolet light has no impact on non-biological contaminants such as chlorine, toxic chemicals and heavy metals. The best defence is the combination of an ultraviolet water purifier and a carbon or ceramic filter to ensure that all types of unhealthy contaminants are removed.
Disinfecting water with
ultraviolet light
is a great way to remove harmful biological contaminants from household drinking water, but keep in mind that additional filtration may be needed to completely purify the water, particularly when
heavy metals
, chlorine or other chemical pollutants are present. Heavy metals may result from minerals in the water, such as iron in well water or lead leached from old plumbing pipes.
Water systems that originate from rivers or lakes may contain residue from acid rain or agricultural fertilizers. Local water systems may add chlorine as a precaution, introducing yet another unpleasant tasting impurity to the water. Filtration successfully removes many such contaminants while an ultraviolet water purifier ensures that the water is completely germ-free.
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