Water is the driving force of nature. It is a necessity for all living beings and it in order to survive we must consume clean and hygienic water. However, today with the growth of industrial sector, pollution has increased to a whole new level. Huge amount of pollution leads to contamination and contaminated water leads to diseases. This is the main reason we need to filter the water we consume.

2. Today, we call ourselves highly developed and with the growth
of industrial sector pollution has growth to a whole new level.
Huge amount of pollution leads to contamination and
contaminated water leads to diseases. So now the question here
is can the old basic filtration methods still produce the best
drinking water or we need something else? Are more intense
purification methods to combat the modern contaminants in our
water supply needed?
The answers to these questions could be found by analyzing and
comparing the traditional and modern water filtration methods.

3. Boiling
From ancient times, boiling is what has been
used to disinfect water from microorganisms. In
fact, when done correctly, it can kill most
bacteria, but not all. Bacteria and protozoa are
killed at the first bubble, and it takes about three
minutes to kill the rest.
However there are a few drawbacks here.

4. • It can require lots of fuel and cooking equipment.
• Water cannot be used immediately, as it needs to cool down.
• Since the boiling water is so hot, some of the water may
evaporate before its use.
• The water can still contain particles. So further filtering
through a handkerchief could be necessary.
• Finally, boiling water does not eliminate chemical pollutants
(including chlorine), poor taste of foul odors, and in fact can
leave a stale taste.

5. Chemical
There are two primary chemicals used to purify water:
iodine and chlorine. Both these chemicals are lightweight,
low cost and easy to use. Iodine has been proven effective
in killing off viruses, bacteria and protozoa. However, the
colder the water is, the more time it will take to purify
with iodine. Iodine can also absorb into the dirt and debris
naturally found in water, so the dosage will always vary.
Also, pregnant women or those with thyroid conditions
cannot not drink water with the chemical. Usually, iodine
is just used for short-term purposes, and should not be
used for more than three consecutive months. Also it
leaves a taste behind that is not favored by many.

6. Chlorine bleach is the second chemical purifier. The process of chlorination
causes dirt and debris to settle to the bottom of the water container and making
the water visually clearer. When using bleach to purify, it is recommended that
one adds 16 drops of bleach per gallon of water, stir, and let stand for 30
minutes. If the water does not have a slight bleach odor, one needs to repeat
the dosage and let stand another 15 minutes. There are many drawbacks to the
chlorination method. If the household bleach is over six months old, it may not
have enough potency to disinfect. Also, chlorine is very poisonous and adding
too much can cause illness, internal organ damage or even death. Chlorine has
been linked to many health problems. Also, if one decides to use bleach, be
sure to add it at the time intended to use the water, not when storing.
Seeing the drawbacks of these traditional filtration methods brings us to
understand why more advanced water purification are required nowadays.

7. Water filtration by definition simply means to strain
out the impurities from a water source. It is
believed that larger the impurity particulate, the
easier it is to filter. However, the truth is the smaller
the impurity particulate, the harder it is to remove.
Thus, the size of the filter pore and the durability of
the filtering element are important to the filter's
longevity and its ability to perform. Most filtering
elements are made of ceramic, glass fiber, hard-
block carbon, or materials that resemble compressed
surgical paper.

8. Reverse osmosis is highly effective in removing several
impurities from water such as total dissolved solids, turbidity,
asbestos, lead and other toxic heavy metals, radium, and many
dissolved organic. The process also removes chlorine, and
nuclear radiation such as radioactive plutonium or strontium in
the drinking water.
Therefore, reverse osmosis combined with activated carbon
seems to be the most advanced water purification method
developed till date.

9. ADDRESS:
D - 11, Diamond Park, G.I.D.C. Naroda,
Ahmedabad - 382 330.

10. ADDRESS:
D - 11, Diamond Park, G.I.D.C. Naroda,
Ahmedabad - 382 330.