Water & Air – Filter Systems News

We’ve written quite a few posts on natural water filters. Here are two more of nature’s best water filtration methods, more recently implemented by researchers:

Seaweed Water Purification

Stamford professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, Charles Yarish, believes that seaweed could be the next revolutionary trend in water purification technology. His method, termed ‘extractive aquaculture’ or ‘bioextraction’, uses seaweed as its main component, and may effectively clean up pollution in waterways from both natural waste and human sources. How does it work? The same way that shellfish do: by extracting organic and inorganic nutrients from from seawater. Although nutrients are generally regarded as beneficial to organisms, too many of them may contribute to the growth of harmful algal blooms, which deplete oxygen in water. Although bioextraction itself  is not new (it has been used before by ancient cultures in Egypt and China) Yarish’s method of bringing together plants and animals on different levels of the food chain into one place, in order to achieve purification in specific areas, is quite innovative, and will allow aquaculture to function more like a natural ecosystem.

Banana Peels Filter Water

All this time, we thought banana peels were useless… well except in the game of Mario Kart. Not anymore, thanks to the discovery of Milena Boniolo, a chemist from the Federal University of Sao Carlos, near Sao Paulo, Brazil. When dried and ground into a powder, banana peels have the ability to decontaminate polluted water by at least 60 percent. The process may be repeated until the water is purified almost completely. Banana peels are rich in negatively-charged molecules, which attract the heavy, positively-charged metals present in contaminated water. Considering that restaurants alone may discard tons of banana peels on a daily basis, this natural method could introduce a much-less expensive alternative to current water filtration technologies.

Put these two methods together, and what do you end up with? Banana Sushi – an edible solution to dirty water.

Over the course of one year alone, we have discovered quite a few natural ways to purify water. I’m sure there will be more to come, so stay tuned, and bookmark this tag in your browser for updates.

With daylight saving time approaching, GE wants you to remember — “Change your clock, change your filter.” And to help you remember, GE is offering a new GE filter rebate. If you purchase two select GE Smartwater refrigerator filters, you can receive a $10 Visa prepaid card in the mail. Purchase three, and you’ll receive a $20 card in the mail.

Filters Fast carries three of the eligible GE Smartwater fridge filters, and they are some of the most popular refrigerator filters we carry. The three filters below are eligible for the rebate, which begins today and ends on Nov. 29:

• GE MWF Refrigerator Filter
• GE MSWF Refrigerator Filter
• GE GSWF Refrigerator Filter

The water treatment process in America and other developed nations uses chemicals like chlorine to rid water of bacteria and other pathogens. The end result is often similar to what you would taste if you accidentally swallowed the water in your neighbor’s swimming pool (unless you choose to purchase a home water filtration system that reduces chlorine taste and odor).  Sadly, developing countries are not so fortunate…

However, a new project funded by the $10,000 Environmental Protection Agency P3 grant (P3 = people, prosperity and planet) has been undertaken by three Penn State engineers to bring clean water to the developing world. The project is a water treatment process involving the moringa seed, which is known for its ability to purify water and food.

Here’s how it works: Moringa seeds contain cationic (positively-charged) proteins. Each protein contains a peptide sequence that acts as a molecular knife, cutting into the cell walls of bacteria and killing them. Because the protein is positively charged, it clings to and wraps up sediment, which is negatively charged, causing it to settle out of water very quickly. Moringa has been used for thousands of years to clarify water. In fact, the idea of using plants for water purification, in general, is not new. You may recall our post on a water filter that uses oregano to kill pathogens.

There are several advantages to purifying water with the moringa seed. The technology is locally acceptable, sustainable and easily accessed by those in developing countries; it may be grown right within a village, lessening the need for the transport of chemicals. The moringa seed grows naturally in harsh environments. Not only does it bring food and water purification; the oil inside the seeds can also be sold for a profit. In addition, the leaves of the moringa tree are highly nutritious, containing loads of vitamins, minerals and proteins, and can be fed to malnourished children.

But the project is not without its challenges. The research team still has a lot of work to do in terms of perfecting the purification process. Other proteins and organic matter in the seeds add biological oxygen to the water that bacteria use as food, allowing any bacteria in the water to grow. As a result, the water does not stay clean for very long and can only be stored for about a day. To counter this problem, the team suggests adding crushed moringa seeds to the water so the proteins can get in, then adding sand to which the active protein will anchor while the inactive proteins and organic matter are rinsed away. Data shows that the active sand that remains can kill pathogens; it is this active sand that will be the essence of the water purifier.

Convincing the people in developing nations that their water supply is unsafe and in need of purification is another challenge the team will face. Surprisingly, even though they may get sick, they often don’t attribute the cause to a dirty water supply.

Water treatment scams are on the rise for the second time in Florida, despite decade-old efforts to crack down on swindlers. Scam artists like Jonathan Yacketta use false scare tactics to trick elderly women and other vulnerable people into buying expensive water treatments, claiming that their water is toxic and undrinkable. But Florida is not the only victim. Water treatment scams are common all over the world. You may recall a post we did a few months ago on a South Korean professor charged with fraud after claiming to invent a device that could turn regular tap water into “holy water.” (Professor Kim’s water treatment scam earned him over $1 million before he was finally arrested.)

So how do you avoid becoming the victim of a water scam? Here are five simple actions to ensure that neither you, nor your 83-year-old grandmother, get swindled:

1. Avoid contact with door-to-door water treatment salespeople.

2. Avoid unsolicited offers for a free water test. Instead, consider purchasing one of our drinking water test kits.

3. If concerned, have your water tested by a certified laboratory.

4. Don’t fall for the bottled water scam! Most bottled water is nothing more than filtered tap.

And last, but not least…

According to a recent article in Tampa Bay Online:

“Most dealers in the $3 billion-a-year industry, its representatives say, are honest sellers of equipment for removing chlorine and minerals and softening water from public utilities or private wells. They say rogue operations selling equipment at inflated prices through scare tactics and misleading information are the exception.”

I’m sure all of our customers could testify to the fact that we are the exception, rather than the rule. So, here is our final piece of advice:

… 5. When in doubt, buy your water filters from FiltersFast.com.

Even some of the most environmentally conscious people find it hard to give up drinking flavored bottled water.  And even for them lies a solution in water filtration.

You’ve heard us say over and over that bottled water is  expensive and bad for the environment. Bottled water advocates argue that their product provides a healthier option than sodas or other sugary beverages, and a ban on the bottle would only force people to turn to such less-healthy alternatives. Moreover, many people can’t live without their daily dose of flavored water, which, up until recently, only came in a bottle. But with PUR flavor options, consumers are left with no more excuses to drink bottled water, flavored or not.

We recently added the PUR line of faucet filters and water pitcher filters to our website. (Actually, I must confess, they have been on the site for a few months now, so this announcement is a little late… but, better late than never, right?) The PUR flavored water pitcher filter and the PUR faucet mount filter with flavor options both reduce or remove harmful impurities and contaminants such as lead, mercury, cadmium, copper and microbiological cysts, in addition to the bad taste and odor of chlorine. How do you get flavored water from these filters? Very simply. Specially-made flavor cartridges allow you the option of adding a burst of strawberry, lemon, grape or raspberry flavor to each glass of purified water with the push of a button. The more you push, the more flavor is added. Each PUR flavor cartridge provides up to 75 servings of flavored water and contains no sugar, calories or dyes. The cartridges fit easily into the lid of the PUR water filter pitcher or into the front of the PUR flavor options faucet mount.

Pure, filtered water is the healthiest way to go. However, if you must drink flavored water, you can do your part to conserve the health of our planet by dropping the bottle in favor of a PUR filter with flavor options.

Order your four bottle Filtrete Water Station at FiltersFast.com!

Google Analytics is a funny thing sometimes. If you’re unfamiliar, Google Analytics allows blog owners to see the search terms that bring surfers to their blog. Upon searching through some of these keywords this morning, I noticed that many of you are looking for a “4 Bottle Water Filter.”

Others were looking for the four bottle water filter, four bottle water purifier, Filtrete water bottle system, 4 bottle water filter system, 4 bottle water purifier, filter water four bottle, filter with four water bottles, filtered water bottle filler, four water bottle filler — I could go on and on.

Whatever you call it, you guys are all searching for the new 3M Filtrete Water Station, which allows you to filter and fill four water bottles in just seconds. Just fill the Filtrete Water Station with water from your sink, and the Fast Flow Filter reduces sediment and the taste and odor of chlorine from your water.

We just added the 3M Filtrete Water Station to the site, and we’re really excited about it. Up to 40 percent of bottled water is nothing more than filtered tap water, so why pay an arm and a leg for it? With the Filtrete Water Station, you can bottle your own water at home and take it with you wherever you go. Save yourself cash and save the environment from the many water bottles that go unrecycled every year.

If you’ve got a family that loves drinking water and would like a few extra bottles to have on standby, you can purchase replacement water bottles for the Filtrete Water Station. These reusable water bottles hold 16.9 ounces of water and are BPA free water bottles. They are also dishwasher safe.

Unlike many water filters, the Filtrete Water Station filter is recyclable.

So whatever you call it, the 4 bottle water filter — I mean the 3M Filtrete Water Station — is a great choice for anyone who wants to filter and bottle their own water at home. Here’s a quick video explaining how the 3M Filtrete Water Station works:

The World Cup may be over, but the people in various communities in Africa won’t stop playing soccer. This sport is an integral part of the daily lives of people in African villages. Atopia Research, a charitable design company, has taken this fact and created a concept that is very much needed in that part of the world: a soccer field that doubles as a rainwater catchment system.

How does it work? It’s simple. The idea is based on the fact that Africa gets plenty of rainfall but only during certain times of the year. The rain falls and the field acts as a catchment surface where the water collects and is drained through a semi-permeable membrane. Some of this water flows through an irrigation system and is used to water plants and eventually harvest crops, while the rest flows into a storage tank and is then filtered for drinking, cooking and bathing. The system can provide 1,000 people with water for a year and is built, using local, sustainable resources and materials to minimize cost and maximize impact.

This project, known as “PITCH: AFRICA” (which means “soccer field” outside of the U.S.), resembles the group of projects implemented by WASH United, a coalition of organizations, agencies, governments and football players from around the world whose mission is to promote clean water, sanitation and hygiene for people in the developing world (especially Africa). Both charities work by using something that is already integrated in African communities – a passion for soccer – to introduce a not-so-available, yet much needed resource – clean water – thereby naturally integrating this resource into their daily lives… a strategy that, in my opinion, has the potential to be highly effective.

Wild Island Family Adventure Park in Sparks, Nevada is proud to be the first outdoor water park to have all its pools equipped with UV filtration. Though many water parks are beginning to implement UV filters, they are not installed in all pools, because this type of filtration is significantly more expensive than the traditional chlorine method. For the officials at Wild Island Park, however, the system is worth the high investment.

UV filtration eliminates parasites and microorganisms that are resistant to chlorine, such as cryptosporidium and giardia. Chlorine reacts with microorganisms in the water resulting in dangerous byproducts like chloramines and trihalomethanes which can cause allergies and other, more serious respiratory problems. Chlorine itself is also harsh on skin and eyes. The UV system destroys all bacteria in the water that passes through it, preventing microbes from re-entering the pool. Moreover, UV light has a photo-oxidation effect that destroys chloramines and other harmful byproducts of chlorine without the addition of more chemicals. Thus, the UV system cuts down on the use of chlorine as a disinfectant. Water park visitors have claimed that they could “feel the difference” upon exiting the pool. 

Chlorine is not just a problem in swimming pools. Since it is a common disinfecting method used by municipal water treatment plants, chlorine is often present in the water you drink and use for bathing. Chlorine in drinking water often causes water to have an undesirable taste and odor and can be toxic in large amounts. Many refrigerator filters, faucet water filters and undersink filters reduce or remove chlorine. Showering in chlorinated water can also result in dry, itchy skin and upper respiratory problems, especially when the water is hot and you breathe in the vapors. Shower water filters can also cut down on water chlorine levels. For healthy drinking water that is not treated with chlorine, or that is contaminated with parasites that are resistant to chlorine, Filters Fast carries several UV water filters to suit your needs.

Solar Disinfection of water, also known as SODIS, is a method that uses sunlight to purify water in glass or plastic PET bottles. The method purifies water in anywhere from six hours to two days, depending on the degree of cloudiness in the sky and the turbidity of the water. It is highly regarded for its ease and low-cost, and for these reasons has been implemented in developing countries as a safe, effective method of water purification.

But how safe and effective is it?

The main argument against this method of water disinfection is the use of PET bottles to carry it out. Some claim that it is dangerous to drink water from a plastic bottle that has been left in a hot car for a few hours, because the toxins from the plastic could leach into the water. According to this claim, over time this method of water disinfection could become carcinogenic. Of course, proponents of the method refute this claim, regarding it as perfectly safe. After all, even if SODIS is toxic over time, it is saving lives in the short run, preventing diarrhea in residents of developing countries where gastrointestinal illness from poor water quality can be fatal.

The effectiveness of the method seems questionable too. On cloudy and rainy days, it takes longer to purify the water. If the water is too turbid, it must be filtered first. However, many filters that are available to developing nations do the work of purification as well, rendering SODIS unnecessary. A fairly recent youtube video demonstrates how to purify water using the SODIS method:

(Since when do people in developing countries have access to youtube?)

The U.S. Army and the University of Adelaide in Australia have both discovered how to purify water using sound waves.

According to a recent article, the U.S. Army is funding a project that uses acoustic waves to trap and remove bacterial spores from water. The spores can then be analyzed using spectroscopy, potentially offering a low-cost, remotely available method for monitoring water supplies.

A similar project is being conducted over the next three years in Australia at the University of Adelaide, but with blue-green algae, instead of bacteria. Researchers will test different frequencies and amplitudes of ultrasound waves to control algae in Australia’s freshwater supplies. At high amplitudes, ultrasound breaks down the cell walls of algae, releasing toxins into the water. The researchers will be using ultrasound at low amplitudes to neutralize and immobilize the algae without releasing its toxins into the water. This process resembles that of UV water filtration, which renders microorganisms inactive in water. Since algae are a growing water quality problem worldwide, the implications of the study are far-reaching.