Water Filtration - removal of bacteria, viruses and micro organisms
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Water borne micro organisms potentially represent some of the most harmful contaminants which water can carry. Fortunately they are very easy and inexpensive to destroy.
There are several different ways to take care of pathogens but by far the easiest, most efficient and most effective is the use of Ultra Violet light known as Ultra Violet Filters.
As we know, Ultra Violet light in very high concentrations is very harmful. In effect the ultra violet light emitted by a UV light filter is a low wattage, energy efficient short-wave system which irradiates water as it passes through a special stainless steel, glass lined cylinder.
As the water passes through the tube from one end to the other, it is irradiated, by short frequency ultra-violet rays which pass through the cell walls of any pathogens which are present, passes through the cell surface and strikes the nucleus.
As the light passes through the nucleus, it does permanent and irreversible damage to the DNA structure within it.
The cell is now unable to divide, a process known as mitosis, and has effectively lost its ability to reproduce. Pathogens generally have a very short life span and it is only because of their ability to reproduce that illness results.
Not only are UV filters extremely effective, they are widely available, inexpensive and require no maintenance other than changing the UV tube once a year.
Ultra-Violet filters are available in many sizes able to filter slow volumes of just a few litres per minute, to very high volumes typically 3000 litres per hour and more. |
There are no micro-organisms known to be resistant to UV, unlike chlorination. UV is known to be highly effective against bacteria, viruses, algae, molds and yeasts, and disease causing oocysts like cryptosporidium and giardia. In practice, bacteria and viruses are the cause of most major waterborne pathogenic diseases. Of these enteric viruses, hepatitis virus and Legionella pneumophila have been shown to survive for considerable periods in the presence of chlorine, but are readily eliminated by UV treatment. For most microorganisms, the removal efficiency of UV for microbiological contaminants such as bacteria and virus generally exceeds 99.99%.
Specifically, the following are moved to an efficiency of greater than 99.99%: E-coli, Salmonella typhl (Typhoid fever), Salmonella enteritidis (Gastroenteritis), Vibrio cholerae (Cholera), Mycobacetrium Tuberculosis (Tuberculosis), Legionella pneumophila (Legionnaires' Disease), Influenza Virus, Polio virus, and Hepatitus A Virus (better than 90%). Countertop UV systems are generally not recommended for removing oocysts such as giardia and cryptosporidium unless equipped with a 0.5 micron carbon block pre-filter since the exposure time the contaminant has to the UV ray is not always long enough to provide an adequate UV dose for disinfection of these more complex organisms.
Whole house UV systems like the Trojan UV Max on the other hand, are capable or killing waterborne oocysts at household flow rates up to three bar when a properly sized model is selected for the application
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