Why Filtering Your Water Isn’t Sufficient: Water Filters vs. Purifiers

Clear Water Isn’t Secure Water

There’s one thing superb about watching a water filter flip nasty, brown water into clear, sparkling-clean water proper earlier than your eyes. Sadly although, this clear look doesn’t imply the water is secure to drink.The picture on the left might look clear, however that doesn’t imply the water is secure to drink. Actually, a lot of the well being hazards that exist in water (aka waterborne pathogens) are microscopic, that means they’re invisible to the bare eye. A few of these hazards are so tiny that conventional water filters aren’t efficient at eradicating them.

Backcountry Water Security

Staying hydrated with pure water is among the most essential items to having a profitable journey, whether or not you’re backpacking, tenting, mountain climbing, or touring overseas. That’s why it’s essential to think about the advantages of water filters vs. water purifiers when selecting a private water remedy system.

Backcountry water needs to be handled earlier than consuming.

On this article, we’ll take a better look into what waterborne pathogens exist and the way they are often eliminated so you possibly can have confidence the water you’re consuming not solely appears clear however is definitely pure, secure consuming water.

Microscopic Risks

Viruses like this one are lots of of occasions smaller than micro organism.

Viruses are parasitic organisms 100 occasions smaller than micro organism, with most viruses measuring between zero.004 and zero.1 microns. They’re extremely hardy organisms that will survive via each freezing and drying. Waterborne viruses that trigger illness in people embody rotavirus, norovirus, and Hepatitis A.

Micro organism are one among many microscopic risks that may be current in clean-looking water.

Micro organism are single-celled organisms that exist virtually all over the place on earth. Some micro organism assist people, whereas others are the culprits for a lot of waterborne illnesses. These embody E. coli, salmonella, and dysentery, none of which make for an satisfying backcountry expertise. Most micro organism vary in measurement from zero.2 to 10 microns (1 micron = zero.00039 inches).

Protozoa & CystsProtozoa are one-celled animals that reside primarily in water. Once they infect people, they
may cause illnesses starting from delicate to life-threatening. Widespread parasitic protozoa embody giardia and cryptosporidium.

Some protozoa kind cysts, a protecting wall that makes them resistant to disinfectants generally utilized in treating consuming water. Cysts are usually between 2 and 50 microns in measurement.

Chemical compounds Not all waterborne well being hazards are alive. Chemical compounds like
chlorine, benzene, and chloroform could also be current in water and signify a well being concern in excessive concentrations.

Heavy Metals This well being hazard is definitely not the least harmful. Heavy metals that discover their approach into water embody lead, arsenic, and chromium. The well being hazard they signify shouldn’t be ignored.

Sediment

Nobody needs to drink water with filth floating in it. Nonetheless, filth isn’t why we included sediments on this record of microscopic risks. Microplastics are tiny plastic particles smaller than a sesame seed that may be present in water attributable to air pollution.

Microplastics are more and more present in consuming water. Although they haven’t been confirmed to be a well being hazard, there may be concern that chemical substances or different pathogens might catch a experience on these tiny plastic items into your physique, making eradicating them out of your
water the secure selection.

How Water Filters Work

With all these invisible risks floating round in water, it’s no surprise water filters for mountain climbing, backpacking, searching, and worldwide journey exist. These filters present useful safety however,
sadly, might not be sufficient to guard you as a result of very nature of how filters work.

So how does a water filter work?

Most water filters act as sieves (think about a a lot smaller model of the colander you in all probability have in your kitchen).

Filters function utilizing the identical precept as a kitchen colander – by bodily eradicating objects from the water.

They bodily pressure out waterborne hazards by forcing the water (utilizing suction or gravity energy) via a membrane that has tiny holes. These holes are usually zero.2 microns in measurement. The zero.2 micron measurement is large sufficient to let the water molecules via however sufficiently small to entice sediment,
micro organism, and protozoa/cysts.

For those who’ve discovered it troublesome to drink via a water filter, it’s as a result of forcing the water via the tiny holes utilizing the ability of your personal suction is plenty of work – and the smaller the holes, the extra work it’s.

Sadly, even the tiny zero.2 micron holes in most water filters aren’t sufficiently small to catch viruses, heavy metals, or chemical substances, that means you possibly can nonetheless get sick consuming filtered water. Filtering your water isn’t sufficient to be assured that what you’re consuming is secure. That’s the place
RapidPure water purifiers and the advantages of water purification are available in.

RapidPure: Extra Than a Filter

RapidPure’s line of water purifiers goes a step past water filters by eradicating not solely micro organism, sediment, and protozoa/cysts, but additionally viruses, heavy metals, and chemical substances so that you might be positive your water is secure to drink, irrespective of the place you journey.

The RapidPure Intrepid water bottle purifies as you drink, eradicating 99.9% of viruses, micro organism, parasites, and extra.

RapidPure water purifiers look rather a lot like conventional water filters, however like with the waterborne pathogens it removes, the distinction is in what you possibly can’t see.

RapidPure’s purification membrane makes use of the most recent in water remedy expertise, known as UltraCeram®. Because the water passes via RapidPure’s membrane, the UltraCeram acts like a magnet, attracting and trappingwaterborne pathogens by focusing on the destructive electromagnetic prices these
contaminants emit.

Soiled, contaminated water passes via UltraCeram and comes out clear and secure to drink.

With the viruses, micro organism, protozoa/cysts, heavy metals, and chemical substances eliminated by the UltraCeram, the one factor the RapidPure membrane has to bodily pressure out is the sediment. This permits the pore measurement to be a lot bigger than zero.2 microns, that means the drive wanted to push the water via the holes a lot much less. You learn that proper – RapidPure purifiers create safer water whereas being simpler to drink via!

Journey Far & Drink Secure

So whether or not you’re prepping to thru-hike the AT, journey to South America, or just take pleasure in some backcountry water in your personal state, be sure you’re within the know what risks exist and forestall them. Packing and utilizing a RapidPure water air purifier is just one piece of journey security (albeit an essential one). Some research and the appropriate gear will help you go a good distance – wishing you secure travels and superb adventures forward of you.