All About Water

The history of human civilization is enmeshed with the history of water. Water has guided civilization more than any other factor. Early civilizations were centered around water sources; the secure water supply of the Fertile Crescent enabled some of the first large-scale agricultural civilizations. Water allows people to sustain themselves and their animals and determines what can be grown and where. As civilizations learn how to better control water—to irrigate and to predict the weather, for instance—they learn how to grow. Even today we still center our civilizations around water. The Middle East is exploding with wars over clean water access. As the World Bank Vice President Serageldin famously stated, “Many of the wars of the twentieth century were about oil, but the wars of the next century will be about water.”

Reasons for the History of Water

Nowadays, after the growth of industries, clean drinking water doesn’t naturally occur. Scientists continually discover contaminants in fresh water sources and correlates between drinking contaminated water and health problems. Because we need water but it is impure, we have learned to treat water. However, the history of water filtration is not a recent one; water filtration began over 4000 years ago.

Milestones in the History of Water

Some milestones in the history of water include the invention of the microscope, the advent of municipal water treatment, the use of chlorine to purify water, and the Clean Water Act of 1972.

Early in the History of Water

The earliest recorded attempts to filter water date back to 2000 BC, to early Sanskrit writings of water purification methods. These methods include boiling water and filtering water through sand or charcoal filters. The Sanskrits’ biggest motive was to make water taste better, because they assumed that good-tasting water would also be clean. People didn’t yet realize that contaminated water caused disease, and they certainly couldn’t test for diseases in water.

Later Innovations in the History of Water

In 1590, the Dutch glasses-makers Zaccharias and Hans Janssen invented the forerunner to modern-day microscopes. A century later, Anton van Leeuwenhoek, “the father of microscopy,” advanced the Janssens’ invention to the extent that scientists could now view tiny living particles in water that had previously been thought clean. In nineteenth-century London, city officials first linked cholera to bad water quality. John Snow, a British scientist, confirmed cholera bacteria in the Broad Street Pump’s water, proving that taste and visual clarity doesn’t prove water’s pureness. After this event, the British government insisted upon filtering city water, a precedent for municipal water systems. The British municipal water system cleaned water partly by treating it with chlorine.

The History of Water Continues

In the 20^th century, people increasingly agreed that every person has the right to clean water. The Clean Water Act (CWA) of 1972 made it a law that every city in the United States must have a water treatment plant. The CWA forced industrial plants to become environmentally friendly and renewed interest in water filtration, making clean water a national goal. Today the history of water continues as we strive to bring clean water to places that still need it.

The history of water treatment has been marked by slow, gradual discoveries that coincided with human development.  While water filtration technology only became successful and widely used in the 20^th century, the history of water treatment can be traced back to thousands of years ago.

Early in The History of Water Treatment

Man has sought pure, clean water for as long as he has been on Earth.  The earliest recorded mention of water filtration and purification can be found in Sanskrit writings from about 2000 B.C.E.  These writings state that “impure water should be purified by being boiled over a fire…or it may be purified by filtration through sand and coarse gravel and then allowed to cool.”  This demonstrates that even in some of the earliest civilizations the basics of water purification were known.  There is also some evidence that the ancient Egyptians used wick siphons for water clarification.  Later, following the tutelage of Hippocrates, the Greek and Roman empires used cloth bags and additives such as pounded barley to filter out bad tastes in water.

Important Discoveries in the History of Water Treatment

After Sir Francis Bacon renewed interest in filtration in 1627, a number of important scientific discoveries deeply affected the history of water treatment.  Around 1690, Anton van Leeuwenhoek invented an early version of the modern microscope, which allowed scientists to more effectively study particles in water.  Meanwhile, in Italy, Lucas Antonius Portius invented the first effective sand filtration system using multiple perforated compartments and large grains of sand.  These two inventions allowed people in 19^th century Britain to examine disease-causing bacteria in water and create one of the world’s first municipal water treatment systems.

Modern Developments in the History of Water Treatment

In the early 1900s, English physicians discovered that chlorine was very effective in eliminating disease from water, and chlorination of public water systems began.  The United States and other countries soon followed suit, and in 1972, the Environmental Protection Agency passed the Clean Water Act, requiring cities to filter public water.  Today, amid growing concerns about the safety of water fluoridation and chlorination, individual households have begun to install filtration devices to taps, showerheads, and entire plumbing systems.

The History of Water Treatment Continues

The history of water filtration is still being written.  While individuals in America and other countries continue to improve the quality of household water, many people in developing countries lack the ability to properly filter their water.  The challenge moving forward will be in improving water filtration for all of humanity.

What Are Phthalates: An Introduction

Many readers may be wondering, “What are phthalates?” Phthalates are a group of petroleum-based chemicals that were originally developed to make plastics more flexible. Nearly all people in industrialized and developing countries carry varying amounts of phthalate compounds in their bodies. However, phthalates have also been found to disrupt hormones in animals and humans. Because we use plastics in virtually every part of our lives, we may limit our exposure to phthalates, but never completely eliminate it.

What Are Phthalates: Common Uses of Phthalates

Once we understand what are phthalates, we must understand what they’re used for. Phthalates are chemicals that can be found in anything plastic. Food packaging, nail polish, vinyl tiling, garden hoses, shampoos and insect repellent all contain phthalates. In fact, the coveted “new car smell” is actually the smell of phthalates vaporizing as plastic parts are exposed to heat. Given our constant exposure to phthalates, it is unsurprising that these chemicals affect human health.

What are Phthalates: Health Risks of Phthalates

What are phthalates? Dangerous. Phthalates are hormone disruptors. Phthalate exposure in the womb shortens gestation, lowers male children’s sperm count and in female children causes endocrine problems that lead to premature breast development. This is especially worrying because, according to a 2000 study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, women of child-bearing age receive twenty times more phthalate exposure than any other segment of the population. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has regulated phthalates as water and air pollutants since 2005. In lab animals, phthalate exposure again lowers sperm count and also causes birth defects and testicular atrophy.

What Are Phthalates: How to Avoid Phthalates

Although research has proven phthalates’ devastating health consequences for animals, research has not yet proven phthalates’ health consequences for humans to an extent that would sufficiently justify banning phthalates’ usage. However, you can lessen your phthalate exposure in several ways. Avoid products with artificial fragrances, as these products likely contain phthalates.  Shop for personal care items that are labeled “phthalate-free.” If a product’s label lists di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) or diethyl phthalate (DEP) among its ingredients, put it back on the shelf.

What Are Phthalates: Common Products That Contain Phthalates

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has published a list of 210 common household items that contain phthalates. This list can be accessed at their website and used as a guide to the products you should watch out for. The EWG also publishes a parents’ guide to phthalate-free childcare products.

Potable water is water that is suitable for drinking. For people who enjoy activities like camping, hiking or back-country skiing, potable water is an absolute necessity while on the trail. Knowing how to make water potable is also crucial, as it is sometimes impractical to carry large amounts of water on an extended journey, and water from sources like lakes and streams should not be consumed until it has been appropriately treated.

Many people hear about hard and soft water without really knowing what those terms mean. Understanding how water is classified lets a homeowner make an informed choice when it comes to the family drinking water and general household water supply. Some people absolutely love soft water, while others strictly prefer the qualities of hard water.

What are the differences between hard and soft water?

Hard water contains naturally occurring concentrations of calcium, lime and magnesium. This can be seen in the residue that hard water can leave behind on surfaces like shower walls and sinks. Soft water, on the other hand, is treated to only contain ions of sodium, giving soft water a slightly salty taste. Because of this, people may notice a subtle difference in the tastes of hard and soft water.

Both types of water originate with rainwater that filters through underground rocks. Water becomes ‘hard’ when the water passes through soft, loose rock containing minerals and calcium that easily break apart and are carried into the water flow. In contrast, soft water passes through hard granite rock, picking up very trace amounts of minerals.

Between hard and soft water, why would a person want soft water?

Some homeowners prefer soft water because the lack of mineral content keeps their kitchen appliances and plumbing from requiring extra maintenance, while lengthening their life spans. Hard water deposits are also harder to clean from surfaces in the bathroom and kitchen.

Bathing in soft water has the added health benefit of leaving hair clean without stripping it of important natural oils. It’s also known to be beneficial for those with sensitive or breakout-prone skin, as soft water does not clog pores like hard water can.

Hard and soft water: is hard water harmful?

According to studies done by the National Research Council, there is no evidence that drinking hard water can cause adverse health issues, but can instead be beneficial. Drinking hard water that contains small amounts of calcium and magnesium can be valuable to those who don’t get enough of these minerals by daily diet alone. As such, for health benefits, hard water is more often recommended as the drinking water of choice.

Hard and soft water: how can I tell if my water is hard or soft?

The easiest way to tell if water is hard or soft is to look for residue on surfaces. White, scaly residue or even green discoloration around water pipes means calcium and lime are present in the water. Sometimes, holding a glass of tap water up to the sunlight will show the tiny particles of minerals and calcium deposits that are present in hard water. To be sure, buy a home water testing kit.

The Verdict on Hard and Soft Water

Both hard and soft water have their pros and cons and choosing between hard or soft water for drinking, bathing and household chores is a personal choice. Some families combine the best of both worlds by using hard water for drinking and soft water for bathing and washing clothes, but both are perfectly safe.

A growing number of people have turned to steam distillation as an effective method of securing clean drinking water. Distilled water can be purchased in large plastic jugs from retail stores, but some researchers have expressed concern about chemicals leaching over time from the plastic into the water, with unknown effects on human health. An increasingly popular option is installing a home distiller unit, which will kill pathogenic viruses and bacteria, plus remove most volatile organic compounds and nearly all inorganic minerals and heavy metals from tap water, producing very pure water.

Home Steam Distillation Features

Home water distillation is an attractive proposition for people who are reliant on drinking contaminated water such or substandard municipal water supplies. A good distiller unit will provide the purest water of all methods, at a reasonable cost. A typical high-quality steam distiller costing about $200 can produce up to four gallons of distilled water per day, and last for years. No supplies are needed other than the source tap or well water, and inexpensive white vinegar for occasional removal of mineral buildup from the distiller chamber and other components.

How Steam Distillation Works

A steam distiller uses electricity to heat elements concealed within the protective outer shell of the unit. The hot elements heat the distiller chamber, which boils the source water. This results in hot steam, which rises. Light gases are vented away from the water steam, then the purified water steam is piped through a hollow coil made of stainless steel. The coil conducts heat away from the steam, which condenses into liquid water. Depending on the design of the unit, this water will either drip through an activated carbon filter for further removal of residual organic material, or be deposited directly into a carafe or other container.

Caring for a Steam Distiller

Boiling away all of the source water will likely shorten the life of the unit, and leave a stubborn residue in the chamber which can cause future batches of distilled water to acquire a bad taste. It is best to allow some concentrated water to remain in the chamber after the boiling process, which should then be discarded. Occasional applications of a mix of vinegar and water inside the chamber will dissolve encrusted minerals, which can be washed out.

Health Effects of Distillation-Purified Water

Distilled water can be very clean and safe, with virtually no chlorine or other contaminants. However, the distilled water should be treated further with an activated charcoal filter if the source water was contaminated with some organic materials such as pesticides and herbicides. Care should also be taken by consumers to provide any necessary minerals in their diets that have been discarded with the concentrated leftover water. Steam distillation removes minerals that are usually present to varying degrees in untreated water, such as magnesium, calcium and sodium. Fluoride may have been present in the tap water provided by municipalities that fluoridate their drinking water supplies. Consumers who drink a great deal of distilled water should exercise vigilance about using fluoridated toothpaste. Distillation can make your water–and you–healthier.

Are you wondering what to do when you see black flecks in your filtered water? Are they harmful to you or your family? Here are some answers.

What are the black flecks that I see in my water?

The black flecks are bits of carbon from your filter. They are non-toxic as well as tasteless. In fact, activated carbon has been used as an antidote to poison in hospitals. However, it is still advisable to keep the filter out of reach of children.

How can I get rid of the black flecks?

The accompanying instructions for most filters advise that you first soak the filter itself in water before use. Then, after putting the filter to use two times, the flecks should disappear. You can also take the added step of shaking the filter under water to encourage the release of the flecks using it for your daily filtration.

Though the home filtration systems on the market require little maintenance, you should properly maintain your water filter to ensure good quality water. Wash the top portion of your filter out once in a while or more often if you use it heavily, so that the activated carbon specks do not collect. Don’t forget to wash the pitcher itself.

Replace your filter regularly

Generally you should notice only a few blackflecks coming out after thoroughly soaking the water filter. If large amounts are being discharged, the filter might have a slight defect in its seal, and you should consider replacing it. Certainly if the filter is past its prime, you will see a higher than normal concentration of black flecks, and you should simply replace it. Follow the suggested replacement schedule in the instruction booklet.

What is the function of the black flecks?

Most home-based water filter systems use an activated carbon water filter method. Activated carbon is the most powerful and simple way to eliminate the variety of impurities, such as odors, chlorine, and chemicals in the water supply, such as pesticides and herbicides. Activated carbon–the black flecks that you see–both absorbs the impurities and makes your water more alkaline.

Reverse osmosis is a sort of pressurized filtration process. Unlike filtration, however, the items which are removed as the water passes through the membrane are not all solid particles. Even ions and dissolved salts are removed. The process effectively removes protozoa, bacteria and even many viruses from water, and has been in use as a purification process for more than 40 years. It is a highly effective and relatively inexpensive process for purifying drinking water.

What Is Reverse Osmosis?

When two salt solutions are separated by a membrane, water passes from the lower salt concentration into the higher one. This process, called osmosis, continues until the salt concentrations on both sides of the membrane are equal. Osmosis is a biological process, and occurs constantly in living organisms as material on one side of a cell membrane passes in or out of the cell, according to solute concentrations. Reverse osmosis is essentially the opposite of osmosis. Water passes through a membrane migrating from higher concentrations to lower concentrations of salt. Reverse osmosis requires that the high-salt solution be under pressure, and it also requires a special type of membrane.

Why Is Reverse Osmosis A Good Choice?

The US Center for Disease Control reports that reverse osmosis purification systems have “a very high effectiveness” in removing protozoa such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium, bacteria such as Shigella and E. coli, and viruses such as Hepatitis A and Norovirus. The CDC also reports that reverse osmosis is effective at removing non-biological contaminants such as copper and lead, and may reduce the amount of nitrates found in water. Although the CDC does not endorse any particular product or technology, the same site reports the top five causes of waterborne illness outbreaks from drinking contaminated water to be Giardia, Shigella, Norovirus, Hepatitis A, and copper. Reverse osmosis is highly effective at removing all of these contaminants. Three of the top five causes of waterborne illness from recreational surface waters are Cryptosporidium, Shigella, and Norovirus. These contaminants are also removed by reverse osmosis with high efficiency. According to the EPA, water utilities treat almost 34 billion gallons of water per day. Reverse osmosis is not practical for municipal purposes, but residential systems are available and are widely used throughout the country.

Limitations of Reverse Osmosis

The membrane used in reverse osmosis is constructed of a semi-permeable polymer, which essentially blocks the passage of anything larger than a water molecule. Salt ions, protozoa and bacteria are blocked effectively, but chlorine and volatile organic chemicals are smaller than water molecules and are not blocked. Chlorine, which is in every municipal and rural water system, is also damaging to the polymer membrane and must be trapped by an activated carbon filter before it reaches the membrane.

As the trend of drinking bottled water diminishes, in favor of more environmentally friendly and less chemical-laden means, using different water filters is becoming an increasingly popular method of ensuring that drinking water is safe and still tastes great. UV filter water purification is an advanced yet natural method of purifying water. UV light rapidly disinfects water by inactivating bacteria without the use of heat or chemical additives, possibly altering the composition of water. As such, UV filters are an excellent way to produce high quality drinking water.

Features of UV Filters

Destroying harmful biological contaminants using UV light is both safe and effective. UV water purification systems are a non-chemical method designed to sterilize water by eliminating harmful bacteria, virus, molds, algae, yeast, and cysts. Leading bottled water manufacturers use UV filters and UV light for water.

How UV Filter Water Purification Works

Ultraviolet light produces an output that is concentrated in the 254 nanometers region in order to make the most use of the germicidal properties of this particular wavelength. Microbes are able to reproduce quickly and overwhelm the body’s immune system. As water passes through the ultraviolet energy emitted by a UV light source, microbes are exposed and rendered sterile and completely unable to reproduce. UV light destroys over 99.9 percent of harmful microorganisms found in water from sources such as rivers, lakes, and streams.

Benefits of UV Filter Water Purification

Purifying water with UV light has many benefits. When using ultraviolet light for water purification, there are no toxic by-products, strange smells, or foul tastes in the treated water. The pH level and properties are not altered in any way. No chemicals are introduced into the water. UV filters and the use of ultraviolet light are perhaps the most cost effective and efficient technologies available to those who want to eliminate a vast range of biological contaminants from a water supply. Additionally, UV water purification is in no way harmful to plumbing and septic systems. It is both easy to install and maintain and requires no special training.

Go Green with UV Filters

Besides drastically reducing the amount of plastic bottles that take up landfill space, UV light is energy efficient, utilizing roughly the same amount of energy as a 60-watt light bulb. The maintenance for a UV water purification system is relatively simple and does not produce much waste. UV light bulbs require yearly replacement, but the quartz sleeve that encases the UV light does not need to be replaced unless it breaks. It should, however, be cleaned several times a year.

Many people wonder how good the water quality in their area is. When water contains contaminants, it leaves behind tiny particles that are dissolved in the water, particles that are called “total dissolved solids.”  This map charts total dissolved solids in the water. Although this chart doesn’t show exactly which contaminants are present in your water and whether they’re bad for you, it’s still a good measure of water purity.

Click on the map to find out more about your local water quality.