New Methods of Water Purification

While methods of water purification have been around for decades, new technologies are always emerging to make the process easier, faster and more effective. In the past, true water purification could only be done at industrial levels, while now a number of methods are available that you can use easily at home.

Ultraviolet Water Purifiers

Ultraviolet water purifiers are highly effective and can remove most types of bacteria, yeast, parasites and mold. Because they work without the use of chemicals or add-ons, these purifiers do not change the taste of the water. They also have the advantage of being easy to install and cheap to maintain and operate. The Slingshot, a device created by inventor Dean Kamen, could help impoverished areas in Africa have access to clean water. The water purifier works with either an electric power source or solar power to process the dirty water into a clean source of hydration.

Silver Dihydrogen Citrate

Invented by the U.S. company Pure Bioscience, the SDC (silver dihydrogen citrate) system purifies water based on the use of stabilized ionic silver, a chemical that kills most bacterias and viruses, including the one that causes cholera. Aimed mostly at the need for mass water purification in areas where access to treatment plants is limited, SDC is particularly useful because it's odorless and safe to consume.

Aerobic Granular Sludge Technology

Discovered by a team of Dutch scientists from the Delft University of Technology, the aerobic granular sludge technology method causes all bacteria present in the water to solidify into heavy granules. These granules sink to the bottom of the water and can then be filtered easily to get rid of all contaminants. Small filters could be produced for home use, while larger tanks would be destined for industrial use. While similar methods exist, most require a large time and space investment, as the granules tend to float, rather than sink, making additional tanks necessary to process the filtering.

Ozone Water Treatment

Probably the oldest method of water purification, ozone treatments are becoming popular again because of developments that accelerate processing time and increase reliability. Ozone treatment plants now require the use of a much smaller ozone generator with no storage drums. Water is filtered and purified through an injector that produces air bubbles and destroys not only chemicals, but also pesticides, sulfide compounds, bacteria and viruses.

Particle-Exclusion Phenomenon Filters

In the final stages of testing as of spring 2009, particle-exclusion filters work by removing up to 99.6 percent of contaminants through a suspension method using colloidal particles, which cause pathogens to separate from water.

Resources

• Water Treatment Technologies