Filter Guide - Debunking the Filtration Myths
The 1 Micron Filters
The “1 micron filters” is the biggest rort within the water purification industry.
Unless the cartridge states in writing that it meets the Australian Standard 4348, the 1 micron filter is 99% certain not to remove active germs, which is the main reason for buying a 1 micron filter in the first place.
1 micron filters dimensions are invariably nominal, not absolute in size, which means they are only roughly 1 micron and do not perform their function well.
Myths About Ionizing Water Filters
There are a many different ionizing water filters on the market today. There are also a wide range of claims made regarding the benefits associated with water treated in this manner. Here are the straight and simple scientific facts.
The Myth of Alkalinity
According to the Mayo Clinic, there is no solid scientific research that proves any health benefits from drinking alkaline water. The digestive system requires acidity for digestion to take place. There is certainly no scientific research that supports the claims like alkaline water cures cancer or boosts energy levels. Investigating the claims made by alkaline water filter manufacturers revelas that most them are for marketing purposes.
Ionizing Water
No machine can actually separate water molecules into acid water molecules and alkaline water molecules. These machines are not making the water molecules acidic and alkaline. They're just water molecules plain and simple. They may be ionized water molecules that may have a positive or a negative charge. Whether an ion is positive or negative is determined by the valence of the atom which depends on the number of electrons it its outer shell. That is also what determines if something is acidic or alkaline. So these filters can legitimately claim to create an alkaline stream, but what's really happening is that you are moving one group of ions into the so called alkaline water stream and the other group of ions into the acid water stream. It's not the water molecules becoming acidic or alkaline.
Remember that many water contaminants also exist as ions in the water. The obvious question is whether any of the seriously dangerous contaminants exist with the ionic charge that makes them go into what's called the alkaline water stream. If this happens, the ionizer is actually making the water less safe to drink by concentrating the bad ions. Unfortunately, the answer is that some very harmful contaminants actually do concentrate in the alkaline stream. For example, both trivalent and pentavalent arsenic will go into the alkaline water stream. Arsenic is known to produce cancer and birth defects.The ionizing water filter actually increases the concentration of arsenic in the water that you drink. This is a huge problem because most ionizing filters do not have sufficient filtration before ionization toremove the arsenic. If they did, then many other types of ions would also be likely to be removed and there wouldn't be much of an alkaline water stream at all since the ions would be gone.
American design, USA design, USA flags on cartridges
Asian manufacturers use highly deceptive marketing practices to fool unsuspecting consumers into buying inferior quality cartridges on the assumption that they are made in the United States.
Methods such labeling products as “USA Style”, "USA Design" or placing the USA flag on the label with similar wording underneath are extremely widespread and designed to confuse.
By adding iron filings inside the filter cartridge, manufacturers increase the weight and credibility of their inferior products and consumers can thus be easily misled into beleiving they are buying a superior quality water filtration system.
Boiling Water
It is an old wives tale that boiling water in a jug kills Giardia, Cryptosporidium and other active germs.
To effectively remove these germs, water must be boiled constantly for no less than a three (3) minute period! With most kettles automatically switching off once the water comes to the boiling point, the only effective way to kill off bugs is boiling it in a saucepan for 3 minutes. This will invariably warm up a van quite nicely during the hot summer months and decrease the confort of the camper.
Return to [ Water Filter Selection Guide ]
Have a look at the Installation Guide for Water Filters for further assistance with all issues relating to the selection and installation of water purification systems.
