Purification Methods to Remove Harmful Contaminants from Water

Water contamination is a global problem, and at present, it’s affecting both developed and developing countries. High levels of contaminants in water have made it difficult for us to consume and use water for our daily purposes.

As reported by The Hill, half of the water found in US rivers and lakes is too polluted for swimming, fishing, or drinking. That means over 700,000 miles of American waterways are now polluted on some level.

Using contaminated water is never an option for us. Sadly, the reality is different for millions across the world. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), as of 2022, around 1.7 billion people worldwide had to consume water from contaminated sources. This, of course, led many of them to develop waterborne diseases like cholera and diarrhea.

Having said all that, it’s evident that we need to adopt the best possible purification methods to remove contaminants from water. In this article, we’ll look into some of these purification methods and try to understand which ones are ideal for which scenarios.

Filtration

Filtration stands as one of the oldest and most widely used methods for water purification. This process involves passing water through a porous material, such as sand, gravel, or charcoal, to physically remove impurities.

The porous medium traps larger particles, sediment, and debris, preventing them from entering the treated water. Additionally, activated carbon filters absorb chemicals and organic compounds, enhancing the quality of the water.

Advancements in filtration technology have given rise to various types of filters. These include membrane filtration, which employs semi-permeable membranes to block particles based on their size.

Reverse osmosis, a specialized form of membrane filtration, is highly effective in removing contaminants, including bacteria, viruses, and dissolved minerals. We’ll discuss this filtration process in more detail at the following point.

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Reverse Osmosis

As reported by USA Today, this year, toxic forever chemicals have been discovered in more than one in four US public drinking water systems. In most cases, the sources of these chemicals are nearby underground storage tanks.

PFAS chemicals from nearby industries can also find their way into your local water supply. According to TorHoerman Law, such was the case in the Camp Lejeune water contamination incident in North Carolina. Here, the PFAS chemicals in the water supply caused thousands of locals to develop cancer over the years. Many others were affected with various other illnesses. Thus, the Camp Lejeune lawsuits were filed against the culprits responsible for all this.

Right now, the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 is in place to ensure justice and compensation for the Camp Lejeune victims. They are working with their lawyers to ensure the best possible settlements for themselves. That way, they can cover their medical bills and other financial losses.

That being said, to deal with these PFAS or forever chemicals, we need reverse osmosis. Reverse osmosis uses a semi-permeable membrane and removes impurities from the water. The water is forced through the membrane at high pressure, and that way, it allows only pure water molecules to pass. This helps block contaminants like bacteria, viruses, and salts.

The result is exceptionally pure water, making reverse osmosis a widely used technology for both residential and industrial water treatment.

Distillation

Distillation is a time-tested method that harnesses the power of heat to separate water from contaminants. The process involves heating water to its boiling point, turning it into steam, and then condensing the steam back into liquid form.

As contaminants typically have higher boiling points than water, they are left behind during the evaporation process. The condensed steam results in purified water.

While distillation effectively removes many contaminants, it may not eliminate volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that have lower boiling points than water. Additionally, the process is energy-intensive, making it less sustainable compared to some other purification methods.

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Chlorination

Chlorination has long been a go-to method for disinfecting water and preventing the spread of waterborne diseases. In this process, chlorine compounds are added to water to kill or neutralize bacteria, viruses, and other harmful microorganisms. Chlorine effectively disrupts the cellular structure of pathogens, rendering them harmless.

Despite its efficacy, chlorination has raised concerns due to the formation of disinfection by-products (DBPs) when chlorine reacts with organic matter in water. Some DBPs, such as trihalomethanes, are potentially harmful and have been linked to adverse health effects.

To address this, alternative disinfection methods like ozonation or ultraviolet (UV) irradiation are gaining popularity as they produce fewer harmful by-products.

In summary, when it comes to water purification methods, the options are endless. However, different types of contaminants and contaminant concentrations will require different purification methods. Therefore, it falls on you to decide which water purification method to opt for, depending on the situation and need.