Water & Air – Filter Systems News

Instead of focusing on a Water Charity this Tuesday, we chose nonprofit organization Project WET. This organization focuses on water education through reaching out to teachers, community members, children, and parents in the United States and around the world. Project WET achieves this goal through publishing informative water materials in different languages, creating school curriculum for different age groups, and sponsoring trainings around the world. Project WET also organizes community water events such as the Global Water Education Village. This event is held every three years at the World Water Forum, the last one was held in Istanbul, Turkey. The goal of the Global Water Education Village is to discuss local actions in water education that are successful at reaching children.

Project WET is committed to reaching out to audiences around the world and in ushering water education into the twenty-first century.  Most recently, Project WET has teamed up with the National Park Service.  In a press release issued on June 22, 2011, Project WET and the National Park Service announced that they would be collaborating on an educational series titled, “Discover the Waters of Our National Parks.”  This science based program will include hands-on activities, videos, special workshops, online courses, guides and an internet portal. Project WET President, Dennis Nelson stated, “Water connects our national parks to each other and to the people of the United States through the water cycle, making national parks a perfect springboard for educating people about water.” This project is going be launched at select national parks within the next year, so keep a look out at your local park!

Project WET’s website offers lots of links for parents, educators, corporations and museums.  If you want to get involved, there are plenty of avenues for that, too. Of course, you can donate on their secure website in any amount you choose, but you can also choose some more innovative ways as well. For example, you can sponsor a classroom and provide a Water and Sustainability Kit which includes copies of various activity and educational booklets for every child.  If you want to be more hands on, you can train to become a Project WET facilitator. After completing the course, you can deliver workshops to teachers and educators in your area. A great way to get involved in your community for a worthy cause!

So this week, Project WET is our pick for a great water focused organization. If you’re a teacher, parent or just someone interested in making a difference through water education, be sure to check out Project WET!

NASA's FOB bag

Recently we brought you the story of Spirit, the retired Mars Rover. Now we bring you a tale from Atlantis. No, not the mythical city, but the recently launched NASA Space Shuttle. The voyage of Atlantis will be the last space shuttle mission from NASA. Will another shuttle ever launch from the famed Cape Canaveral launchpad? Maybe, if it’s written in the stars.

However, that isn’t stopping NASA from conducting its mission, one part of which includes testing a kit that converts urine into drinking water. Yes, you read that correctly. No, the Atlantis astronauts will not be drinking their own urine aboard the shuttle.

NASA tells us that the kit, known as the Forward Osmosis Bag (FOB) system, “convert[s] dirty water into a liquid that is safe to drink using a semi-permeable membrane and a concentrated sugar solution. FOB looks at the forward osmosis membrane in a space flight environment and compares its performance against ground reference controls.” Water filtering technology is nothing new, but NASA is attempting this experiment in space, specifically in a zero gravity environment.

As reported by Wired, the International Space Station astronauts currently have their own pee-recycling machine that they convert urine from, but that system requires an external power source from the orbital laboratory to function. The new FOB system requires no external power source, just forward osmosis.

According to NASA, the process is simple:

“NASA’s recycler will use a sugary solution injected into a semi-permeable inner bag, which is nested inside an outer bag. Dirty fluid that’s pumped into the outer bag will slowly pass through the inner bag and into the sugary solution, leaving behind its contaminants. On Earth, the double-sack system makes about a liter of sports drink-like fluid in four to six hours.”

The Atlantis astronauts will be testing the kit with samples of dirty water, not urine. NASA believes that this experiment could have major implications for the future of space exploration. For example, “a small forward osmosis device could be incorporated into new long-exposure EVA suits in order to recycle metabolic wastewater (i.e., sweat and urine) into drinkable fluid.” Here on Earth there are more practical applications, such as providing clean drinking water to disaster victims and those in emergency situations.

While the thought of drinking filtered urine provides many with a certain ick-factor, the technology is available and shouldn’t be pissed away.

Air & Water Filter Use Increases Globally

Reports about poor air and water conditions are reaching global proportions. The growing need for air and water filters result from inadequate conditions of current air and water quality. We see evidence of the rising concern about clean air and safe drinking water demonstrated through various charities dedicated to addressing this dilemma internationally. Such concerns are invoking the immediate implementation of stricter air and water pollution regulations.

Together, the United States and Europe account for a major share of the global air filter and filtration equipment market. The demand for air filters in developing countries will outpace the type of mature growth in markets such as the United States, Japan and Europe. China is expected to supersede Japan by becoming the second largest market for air filtration equipment behind the U.S.

Recently, the Freedonia Group, a leading international business research company, released a market analysis about the increased demand for filters in China. They reported that by 2014 the demand for air and water filters in China is projected to grow by 13.5% annually to 66.2 billion Yuan (Chinese currency). Comparatively, this growth is approximately $10.2 billion in U.S. dollars. The increased demand in China is supported by a rapid growth in motor vehicle and other transportation equipment production, stocks, government policies that promote energy conservation and emission reductions. Sales of fluid filters will be fueled by the growth in non-agricultural water use and expanding urbanization. Sales of air filters are projected to single-handedly rise by 13.7% per year through 2014.

The demand for increased global usage of filters will be spurred by rising manufacturing output of HVAC equipment, metal products, building construction materials, chemicals and pharmaceuticals. Many of these manufactured products are either equipped with air filters or produced in manufacturing facilities with high air purification requirements. As income levels grow, more people in China will be able to afford water and air purification equipment for their homes. The growing demand for higher quality and extended life filters are likely to boost the overall market value.

Cutting edge technology along with innovation in air and water filtration media, product design, cost and efficiency will boost future growth. The outlook remains optimistic as consumer spending increases and the shift for better air and water filtration continues to make progress.

Last September, we wrote about seven water conserving breweries that were doing their part to conserve water, whether at the brewery or out in the world. One of those breweries was Atlanta’s SweetWater Brewing, which over the last decade has raised over $250,000 for the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper through its Save the Hooch campaign.

SweetWater continues the campaign with the release of the SweetWater Waterkeeper Hefeweizen, which the brewery hopes will “raise awareness for Waterkeepers and assist them in their fight to preserve our rivers, streams and coastlines.”

A refreshing hefeweizen is a fitting beer to raise this summer in honor of waterkeepers, which patrol rivers, streams and coastlines to ensure the water is fishable, swimmable and drinkable. The Waterkeeper Hefeweizen was first released at the River Revival in Atlanta on May 19, and it is now in limited supply across the southeast in bottles as well as draft.

To donate to SweetWater’s “Save the Hooch” campaign, visit waterkeeperbrew.org. If you do, you can say that you “gave of your liver to save a river.”

Imagine creating a plastic box that would serve a multifunctional purpose for disaster victims. Aquabox, a charitable company registered in England, provides boxes for water purification to dispatch to areas where severe disasters strike. The aftermath of a disaster can leave victims in desperate need of core necessities like food, water and shelter. One of the most urgent challenges for disaster relief agencies is getting fresh, clean drinking water to those victims. Sometimes polluted water is the only source of water. Waterborne contaminants can rapidly cause epidemics such as typhoid and cholera. Many of the outbreaks of disease and infection that result from drinking polluted water could often lead to dehydration and diarrhea, particularly striking the very young.

Aquabox is a robust plastic tank packed with water purification tablets and essential welfare items for a disaster situation. Once the welfare contents have been removed, each Aquabox can be used to purify up to 1100 liters of polluted water, making it safe and pleasant to drink. For example, 1100 liters is equal to 5,000 cups. This is enough safe drinking water for a family of four to consume 10 cups of water per day, for about four months.

This survival box is filled with welfare items such as warm clothing, kitchen utensils, hygiene items and other general hardware. The actual contents depend on the individual or organization that donated and filled the box. By the millennium, Aquabox provided more than 20,000 boxes covering over 30 countries. During the past several years, many aid agencies received and monitored boxes such as Children’s Aid Direct, Feed the Children, Christian African Relief Trust, Containers of Hope and Nottingham Police Aid Convoys.

Clean drinking water can mean the difference between life and death. In the wake of mammoth disasters, natural and manmade, Aquabox is dispatched to areas in dire need of safe drinking water. Under the provisions of their charitable status, Aquabox seeks a donation in return for the box rather than making an outright sale. Aquabox can play a vital part in minimizing the after effects of a disaster.

EcoloBlue 30s Atmospheric Water Generator

As farfetched as it may sound, the possibility of turning humidity from the air into sparkling water is a reality. EcoloBlue Life & Energy, the global leader in home and office Atmospheric Water Generators, was recently awarded a United States patent for their invention of The EcoloBlue 30s. The EcoloBlue 30s is a sleek, state-of-the-art atmospheric water generator that allows sparkling water to be generated from humidity in the air and customized to consumers’ tastes.

Air is the only water source required for the EcoloBlue 30s. It eliminates reliance on municipal water systems, well water or any other standard water source. Once it pulls humidity out of the air, it filters and purifies the water. The EcoloBlue 30s delivers a continuous supply of delicious, 99.9% pure water quietly, energy efficiently and without plastic bottles. Now how cool is that? Talk about eco-friendly.

The EcoloBlue 30s appeals to a wide range of demographics due to its simplicity of design, easy installation and operation. This appliance can connect directly to any water source to provide an endless supply of water. Some of the benefits of the EcoloBlue 30s include:

• Hot, cold and sparkling water creation
• 12 Stage air filtration process
• Off-the-grid sustainability
• Solar and biodegradable plastics
• Energy efficient and economical
• Eliminate bottled water purchasing
• Offers 99.9% peace of mind regarding water safety and sustainability

Design features of the EcoloBlue 30s water generator offers wood, stone and marble styles to match your décor. This system comes complete with one CO₂ Canister. Additional canisters are available. One canister will provide up to 60L/16gallons of pure sparkling water. To make your own mineralized sparkling water, simply add a mineral filter to this atmospheric water generator. This system is easy to set up and maintain.

To learn more about the EcoloBlue 30s water generator by EcoloBlue Life & Energy, visit their website EcoloBlue.com.

Dogfish Head’s New Randall the Enamel Animal

The Randall was first pioneered by the ever-innovative Dogfish Head Brewery in Maryland. Sam Calagione, Dogfish Head’s founder and president, was looking for a way to make his brutally-bitter 120 Minute IPA even more hoppy at an event called the “Lupulin Slam” in 2002 (lupulin is a bitter powder found on hop plants).

Sam built a makeshift water filter and filled it with Cascade and Willamette hops before sending the 120 Minute IPA through it. Hopheads at the event were stunned at how fresh and resinous the beer’s hop presence was, even if it did seem like it could strip the enamel off of your teeth. Thus “Randall the Enamel Animal” was born.

These days, brewers and homebrewers alike fill Randalls and water filters with much more than just hops. Some common Randall fillers include coffee or vanilla beans, bourbon-soaked oak, fresh fruit, candy canes and jalapeno peppers.

Don’t worry: if you can’t afford Dogfish Head’s Randall the Enamel Animal at $375, you can make your own Randall beer filter out of a water filter housing for a fraction of the price.

How to Make a Randall the Enamel Animal:

1. Find an appropriate water filter housing. A standard 10″ water filter housing should work for most applications. You’ll probably want to go with a clear water filter housing, so that you can see whatever ingredients you stuff in it. Since most beer lines are 1/4″, it would make since to find a filter housing that could accommodate 1/4″ lines (rather than using bungs to convert the fittings). Popular outlet sizings on these housings include 1/4″, 1/2″ and 3/4″. Just make sure it either matches the size of your existing line, that you have the appropriate fittings to convert it. The Pentek 158117 Filter Housing is a popular, economical choice.

2. Make a stainless-steel filter replacement. Since a true water filter would diminish the flow you need to move beer through the filter, you’ll want to construct a piece of stainless steel to stand in for the filter. You can drill holes through it to allow for a good flow. Most standard 10″ water filters measure around 2 1/2″ x 9 3/4″.

3. Assemble fittings, tubing, disconnects and other assorted hardware. HopWild gives a good run-down of the various hardware you’ll need to build the Randall, and walks you through the necessary steps.

If you liked this post, be sure to come back to read about which water filters to use for homebrewing. If you have any questions about which filter housings would be appropriate, feel free to leave a comment below.

Put the word “international” in front of any word or phrase, and you immediately sound like a well-traveled bon vivant.

International politics.

International House of Pancakes.

International refrigerator filter?

Now, you might be tempted to think an international fridge filter would only work in fancy European refrigerators, but this is not the case. In fact, the GE MWFINT Refrigerator Filter is identical to the popular GE MWF Refrigerator Filter in almost every way. It fits the same refrigerator applications, it removes the same contaminants, and it has the same NSF certifications. As you can see by the photo, the international filter features a green graphic, while the standard GE MWF filter has a blue graphic. Oh, and there’s one more difference — the international version is less expensive than the standard MWF refrigerator filter. Go green, save green.

Our cost is lower on the international version, and we want to pass those savings on to you. We can assure you this filter will work in any refrigerator that uses the regular GE SmartWater MWF Filter. It is even made in the same American factory as the GE MWF filter. The international version has a filter life of 300 gallons.

So if you’re currently using the GE MWF SmartWater Filter and want to save a couple bucks, you might want to consider the new GE MWFINT Refrigerator Filter. We think you’ll enjoy the savings, and perhaps you’ll even find the international version a bit more refined.  If not, there’s always IHOP.

Arsenic is colorless, odorless and tasteless. A water test is necessary to determine if you are at risk.

Recent evidence from a region in Chile suggests a link between arsenic in drinking water and tuberculosis. Further research is needed to determine whether the element makes TB more deadly or whether it makes people who ingest it more susceptible to the disease. Tuberculosis used to be the leading cause of death in the United States. Today it is much less common here, but still affects people in other countries – especially those with weaker immune systems like children and elderly folk. Though TB is rare among Americans, we thought it would still be good to share with you the other, equally serious, dangers of water contaminated with arsenic.

Currently, the EPA has set the maximum allowable level for arsenic in drinking water at 10 parts per billion (ppb), and is considering lowering that limit, as ingesting arsenic can have dangerous consequences. A study by the National Academy of Sciences in 1999 reported that arsenic is linked to bladder, lung and skin cancer, as well as kidney and liver cancer. It also harms the central and peripheral nervous systems, heart and blood vessels, and causes serious skin problems.

Since arsenic is undetectable by human senses, how do you make sure your water is arsenic-free? Well, not everyone is at risk. So first, test your water for arsenic to determine if your levels are above or below the current maximum allowable standard. According to the CDC, currently about 80 percent of Americans are drinking water that contains arsenic at levels less than 2 ppb – well below the standard set by the EPA. However, two percent exceed 20 ppb. If you are within that 2 percent, it’s definitely time to get a water filter that removes arsenic.  These are easily found by visiting FiltersFast.com and typing “arsenic” into our new-and-improved search box. Yep, it’s that simple folks.

In addition to reducing arsenic, the Pentek RO-3500 Reverse Osmosis filter also reduces hexavalent chromium – a carcinogen that’s been found in the water supplies of 31 U.S. cities.

IMAGE CREDIT: emerginggreen.wordpress.com

You wake up one morning,  head to the kitchen and place a tea bag in your cup. Are you drinking green, black, oolong? Or is that tea bag filled with activated carbon, leaving you not with tea but with clean drinking water?

The newly designed “Tea Bag Water Filter” does just that. The filter uses a basic tea bag design to contain activated carbon, which can remove chemical contaminants. This is why so many of our water filters use some form of carbon. Carbon can adsorb (not absorb) chlorine, lead, mercury, zinc and more, and it is  used in Brita pitchers, inline filters, fridge filters, RO systems and even air filters.

But the tea bag water filter doesn’t stop there. The prototype, designed by Stellenbosch University’s Professor Cloete, also uses a biocide on the outside of the bag to kill off bacteria. Cloete cautions that “all technology has its limits,” but he also says that they have yet to find a bacteria the tea bag water purifier can’t kill.

Perhaps the most attractive aspect of the water filter is its ease of use. The filter attaches to the neck of a standard water bottle, so you have only to place it in your bottle, fill it up, and you’ve got filtered water at your fingertips.

So where can you buy the tea bag water filter? Not at FiltersFast— yet. The tea bag water filter is currently in production, though Cloete is working with manufacturers and hopes to have a version ready for sale by next month.

When you do purchase the teabag filter, you might be able to take comfort in the fact that your purchase also supports clean water initiatives in developing countries. Cloete hopes that a surcharge can be added to the purchase price so that a portion of all sales will lessen costs of the units for citizens of developing countries who may not otherwise be able to afford them.

Update: It appears this filter is not widely available at online and retail stores. We will keep you posted.