According to WHO, around 3.4 million people die annually from water-related diseases. Furthermore, there are 4 billion cases of diarrhea per year, 20 million of typhoid, 146 million of trachoma, and the list goes on.
Even though this is majorly a problem for developing countries, its prevalence in developed countries is as dangerous.
The municipal water filtration system in developed countries purifies your water from physical contaminants. However, this filtration is not enough to eradicate microorganisms.
Moreover, the chlorination process they use to eradicate microorganisms is not as effective, and manually boiling the water requires a lot of labor and time.
So, what else can we use to purify our water from these menacing pathogens without spending too much money, energy, and time?
The answer is simple, an ultra-violet filtration system or a UV filtration system!
A UV filter is a device consisting of a UV lamp and a sleeve that covers this lamp. This method infiltrates the weakness of microorganisms towards the ultra-violet rays.
However, as UV filters are not popular among masses, a lot of questions might be popping up in your head right now!
So, without further delay, let us dive into our topic!
Type of UV filters
There are two main types of UV filters available.
Simple UV filter
The simple one is used in the areas where the water may contain microbial contaminants but is free of physical pollutants. These pollutants may include minerals (such as arsenic or lead), microplastics, industrial and agricultural wastes, etc.
It works well with an additional filter that removes the physical contaminants.
UV Filter with Built-in Sedimentation and Carbon Filtration System
This one is a complete package. It can remove both the microbial as well as physical impurities from your water.
If you do not trust your municipal water filtration system over physical impurities, this could be your best choice!
Mechanism of Action
No matter which type of UV filter you go for, the filtration technique is quite similar.
UV filter consists of a bulb and a sleeve that surrounds the bulb.
This bulb emits Ultraviolet rays that penetrate the microorganisms and damage their DNA.
This abruption in the structure of their DNA kills the microorganism and halts its reproduction and spread.
However, for this method to work efficiently, the water should be free from physical contaminants. For which, you may have to install an additional filter, or buy a UV filter with a built-in carbon filtration system.
Pros and Cons of Ultra-Violet Filters
Advantages
Healthy
As mentioned earlier, our water contains many microorganisms that can cause all sorts of diseases. These diseases include vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain, bloody stool, bloody diarrhea, ulcerations, severe dehydration, coma, cancers, and even death.
UV filters remove almost 99.99% of these harmful pathogens from your water, saving you from painful illnesses and expensive clinical visits.
Moreover, this type of filtrations is more effective against a broader range of organisms than methods like chlorination or boiling. In fact, we have long been using Ultra-violet rays to disinfect surgical equipment and laboratory items.
Affordable
From a simple UV filter to an advanced one, the price ranges from $100 to $300.
Considering how much a single clinical visit in good quality hospital costs, a UV filter saves a LOT in the long run.
Safe
Other disinfecting methods, such as chlorination, use chemicals to eradicate microbes. In excess quantity, these chemicals do more harm to your body than benefit.
On the contrary, a UV filter uses no such chemicals and has no by-products. You can enjoy pure water without having to worry about any additional chemicals.
Highly Efficient
These filters provide a fast water flow, work 365 days straight without maintenance, and remove 99.99% of the organisms.
Moreover, the energy required by these filters is quite low. A good quality filter uses the same amount of energy as an average light bulb.
Easy to Install and Maintain
These filters are easy to install, you even may not have to call a plumber. Just follow some easy steps from the manual provided, and you will be enjoying a pure-organisms free glass of water in no time!
Similarly, you do not have to worry about their maintenance too much. You only need to replace the UV lamp once every year.
Disadvantages
Limited to Microorganisms (Only the Simple Type of UV Filter)
A significant drawback of the simple type of UV filters is that they do no filter physical particles. As a consequence, you either have to make sure your water is filtered well by the municipal authorities, or you need to install an additional filter.
However, this additional filter doesn’t need to be an expensive one. Even a simple faucet filter of about $10-$15 will do the work.
Nevertheless, this disadvantage is for the simple type of UV filters only. An advance filter, like the HQUA-OWS-6 whole house UV filter, does not require additional filters, purifies all the water in your house, and costs only around $120!
Electricity Required
Since the continuous emission of UV rays requires electrical energy, you won’t be able to use these filters if they are powered off.
However, as mentioned before, your electricity bills will not be affected much as the energy requirement is as low as an average light bulb.
All in all, water-related diseases are one of the most critical health concerns worldwide. They are the reason behind millions of deaths and billions of sick people per year. Moreover, all the clinical visits and treatment expenses cost a lot.
By installing a UV filter, you make sure your water is free from these pathogens. Consequently, leading yourself to a fit, healthy, and ultimately, a happy life.
In the long run, every penny you spend on installing a UV filter saves you from spending fortunes over medical visits and treatments.
For more information, check out our reviews of the best Ultra-violet filtration system available in the market and go for the one you need!