How to purify water at home. What are you actually drinking? How to properly purify water at home. What harm does tap water cause to your health?

Tap water goes through several stages of processing, but still contains a large amount of harmful chemical elements. This worsens a person’s health and well-being, and sometimes leads to various diseases. In addition, the quality of water affects the taste of cooked food and drinks. Impurities in its composition can easily spoil the taste and value of tea or coffee.

Chlorine, which is used to purify and disinfect tap water, kills dangerous bacteria and viruses. But at the same time, it destroys the protein structures of the human body, negatively affects the condition of the mucous membranes, eliminates beneficial bacteria and worsens the microflora in the intestines. This substance often contributes to the appearance and development of allergies.

Too hard water degrades the quality of clothes after washing. It can leave streaks and stains on clothes, making products rougher and tougher. To avoid these problems, you need to get rid of chlorine, purify and soften the water.

Filters for water purification

The most popular and practical way cleaning - using household filters. This can be a standard filter jug with a nozzle where you need to pour and settle water. More deep cleaning install stationary filters that are built into plumbing fixtures, or special nozzles on the tap.

Such devices allow you to remove chlorine as much as possible from tap water, eliminate toxic and harmful elements. In any case, filters need to be changed at least once a month.

The big disadvantage of such devices is their high cost and the need to regularly change filters. However, they effectively purify water. As a result, it becomes safe for humans and suitable for drinking or cooking.

In addition, purified water will not leave marks and rust in the sink or bathtub, as well as scale on dishes. This will make it easier to wash the kettle and clean plumbing fixtures.

However, many people prefer to use homemade and easier methods of water purification. They will also come in handy if the filter breaks and you don’t have a new device at hand. Let's look at how to purify tap water without a filter.

Boiling and settling

Boiling is the most famous and easiest method to sterilize and purify water at home. To do this, boil the water without a lid for at least 15 minutes. As a result, harmful compounds will leave along with the steam. However, the bleach will remain; moreover, it will turn into a more dangerous carcinogen that causes cancer.

Boiling has a number of other negative consequences. This process kills and useful elements, as a result, the water becomes useless. In addition, after boiling, salts settle on the walls of the kettle or pan, which leave salt deposits and stains, as well as scale. Washing such dishes is quite difficult. How to clean the thermopot from scale, see.

Another easy method is settling. Pour water into any container and let it sit for eight hours. During this time, chlorine and other impurities will evaporate. To speed up the process, you can stir the contents regularly.

But settled water will still retain heavy metals. To remove these harmful substances, pour out 2⁄3 of the liquid without stirring or shaking the contents at the end and after settling.

Water purification using special means

Pieces of silicon will purify water from impurities. First rinse the pebbles in warm tap water, then put them in glass jar and fill in cold water at the rate of 3-10 grams of silicon per 1-3 liters of water. Place the jar in the light, but away from direct exposure sun rays. After three days, the purified water can be drunk, but without using the contents from the bottom of the container. You can buy silicon at a pharmacy;
Silver has effective cleansing properties. It softens and frees water from harmful microbes, viruses and chemical compounds, kills bacteria. In this case, a silver spoon or coin is placed in a container of water and left for 10-12 hours. Silver purified water will preserve for a long time beneficial features;
Shungite — modern remedy, which can also be bought at the pharmacy. To clean, 100 grams of stone are placed in a liter of water and left for three days. Choose large stones and do not use water from the bottom of the container. Shungite can be used many times by cleaning the stone once a year with a hard sponge, brush or sandpaper. However, this method is not recommended for people with increased acidity, with cancer, blood clots and during exacerbation of chronic diseases;
Magnets are another way to purify water at home. However, it is not effective enough, since it only collects iron salts. But the chlorine and most of the microbes will remain in the water. To clean, magnets are wrapped around the dishes and left for five hours;
Activated carbon will effectively replace filters, because this very product is used in the manufacture of cleaning devices. It neutralizes bad smell rusty pipes and bleach, removes harmful and toxic substances. Wrap the tablets in gauze and place in a container of water at the rate of one tablet per liter of water. In just eight hours the water will be clear!

Is it good to freeze water?

Freezing is a popular, most effective and efficient cleaning method today. It has been proven that melt water contains much less impurities and harmful substances than from the tap. It restores the body, improves performance and gives strength, helps with allergies, dermatitis and skin itching, with stomatitis and asthma.

To freeze in a saucepan with a lid and Plastic container pour water, leaving a little free space on top. You cannot use glass containers; it is not recommended to take plastic bottles, as they are hazardous to health.

A suitable option would be special freezer bags or containers made of high-quality food-grade plastic. These dishes are convenient to use for freezing and storing food or water. In addition, high-quality plastic dishes easy to wash and can be used if necessary. Wherein food grade plastic safe for humans.

To get the maximum benefit from melt water, when the water in the container freezes halfway, drain the unfrozen part. And the remaining ice can be melted and used as drinking water. Freshly defrosted water is considered the most useful and healing.

Traditional methods of purifying tap water

Table salt in the amount of one tablespoon is placed in two liters of water and left for 20-25 minutes. During this time, the water is purified from salts, heavy metals and dangerous microorganisms. However, it is not recommended to drink such liquid every day;
Plant components, including juniper branches, onion peels, willow bark or bird cherry leaves, also effectively purify water. Place the product in the liquid and leave for at least 12 hours;
A bunch of rowan produces purified water, equal in quality after purification with activated carbon or silver. To do this, rowan is immersed in water for three hours;
The wine method should be used with extreme caution, as it can spoil the taste. drinking water. To avoid this, strictly follow the cleaning rules. In this case, add one part of dry white wine to two parts of water, mix and leave for three to four hours;
Vinegar and iodine purify water, but can also give an unpleasant taste. In addition, after cleaning, some chlorine compounds and microbes still remain in the liquid. Place a teaspoon of vinegar per liter of water or add three drops of 5% iodine and leave for six hours.

The quality of water depends on the chosen purification method and on how much you settle the liquid or use filters. Some people replace tap water with distilled water. This liquid does not contain harmful substances and compounds, but it has no taste and, if consumed frequently, washes out beneficial salts and minerals from the body.

Health

You cannot argue with the statement that water is the basis of life and the guarantee of our health. Therefore, water purification is the most important household process that needs to be given due attention.

We bring to your attention an overview of the most popular water purification filters, which you can make yourself at home without significant material costs.

1. Water purification by boiling

However, a similar effect can be obtained by observing two conditions:

Boil water for at least 15 minutes.
The container in which water is boiled must not be covered with a lid.

Despite its simplicity and popularity,this method has significant disadvantages:

Fresh water contains oxygen, hydrogen sulfide, calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium ions. Boiling displaces oxygen from water. The ions react with each other under the influence of high temperatures, resulting in the formation of calcium salts and other elements, which are deposited in the form of scale on the walls of dishes for boiling water. As a result, we get not just “dead” water, but also harmful to health: for example, calcium salts over time can become one of the triggers for the formation of kidney stones, the development of arthrosis and arthritis.
Boiling cannot remove salts of iron, lead, mercury and other heavy metals that are hazardous to health from water.
Finally, chlorine and its compounds, reacting with organic compounds during the heating process, form trihalomethanes and dioxin - carcinogenic substances that, accumulating in the body, can lead to the development of serious illnesses, including oncology.

2. Water settling

This method water purification involves settling of tap water for 8 – 12 hours(this is exactly the time needed for chlorine and other volatile impurities to evaporate).

To speed up the process of evaporation of harmful substances It is recommended to stir the water periodically.

But keep in mind that settled water retains heavy metal salts that settle at the bottom, so it is not recommended to stir the water an hour to an hour and a half before the end of purification.

In order to obtain water purified from heavy metals at the outlet, it is recommended to carefully pour 2/3 of the liquid into another container: this must be done so that the sediment remains at the bottom.

3. Freezing water

Freezing is simple and effective method, which allows not only to purify water from salts and other harmful compounds, but also to improve its quality by saturating it with oxygen.

The benefits of melt water are undeniable:

Removing cholesterol and salts from the body.
Strengthening the immune system and increasing the body's resistance to various diseases.
Reducing the risk of developing allergies.
Rejuvenation of the body.

How to get melt water? Very simple:

Do not fill a plastic container (not a plastic bottle) or a special plastic freezer bag with water to the brim, remembering that water expands when freezing. For the same reason, you should not use glass containers, which can burst under the pressure of frozen water.
Place a container of water in freezer until 2/3 of it is frozen.
Drain any water that has not frozen from the container, as it contains salts that inhibit the freezing process.
Thaw the remaining ice - this is healthy melt water.

4. Water purification with activated carbon

Activated carbon is budget-friendly, but at the same time effective remedy for water purification, absorbing various harmful impurities and unpleasant odors.

By the way, household filters for water purification are equipped with carbon filters.

We suggest making such a reliable filter yourself.For this you will need:

Activated carbon (50 tablets).
Gauze (or wide bandage).
Cotton wool.
Liter glass jar.
One and a half liter plastic water bottle.

Let's start making a three-layer filter:

Cut off the bottom of the plastic bottle and insert it, neck down, into the jar.
We cut off a piece of gauze (20*20 cm) in which we wrap cotton wool - this is the first layer of the filter.
The second layer consists of crushed activated carbon tablets, which we wrap in cotton wool.
The third layer is identical to the first.

Our filter is ready! It is important that the filter layers fit tightly to each other, then the water will be purified not only from harmful impurities and odors, but also from mechanical particles and rust.

If you have neither the time nor the desire to make a carbon filter, we suggestlightweight water purification option:

Activated carbon at the rate of 1 tablet per liter of water is placed in a gauze bag.
The tied bag is placed in a container of water for 6 – 8 hours.
Enjoy purified water!

5. Water purification with silver

This method of purifying water from microbes, viruses, bleach and other harmful substances was practiced by many generations of our ancestors.

Purifying water with silver is as easy as shelling pears – just enough place any silver item in a container of water for 8 – 10 hours.

Silver not only disinfects water. This metal has a beneficial effect on the immune system, improves the condition of the skin and hair, accelerates metabolic processes, and normalizes the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

Important! Do not use colloidal (or liquid) silver to purify water! It accumulates in the body, provokes poisoning and can lead to the development of a serious disease called argyrosis, which is characterized by darkening of the skin, which acquires a darkish gray tint.

6. Water purification with silicon

The procedure for purifying water with silicon is simple, but at the same time effective.

To carry it out, you will need a stone weighing 5–10 g, which can be purchased at a pharmacy.

Procedure for purifying water with silicon:

Rinse the silicon under warm running water.
Place the stone in a glass container with cold running water (use 5 g of silicon to purify 1 liter of water).
Cover the container with gauze folded in two layers.
Leave the water to infuse for 3 days: it is important that direct sunlight does not fall on the container with water, but also dark place It is not recommended to infuse liquid.
After three days, carefully pour the water into another container, leaving a third of the settled water at the bottom, since this sediment contains salts and heavy metal impurities.
The stone itself must be thoroughly washed and brushed regularly after each use.

Water purified with silicon has a beneficial effect on the immune and circulatory systems, and also has a rejuvenating effect.

7. Water purification with shungite

Another stone used for water purification is shungite, which, like silicon, can be purchased at a pharmacy.

This mineral attracts and absorbs chlorine, phenol and acetone compounds, removes harmful bacteria and microorganisms from water, which has a positive effect on the functioning of the entire body.

To purify a liter of water you will need 100 g of shungite.

Procedure for purifying water with shungite:

Rinse the stone thoroughly.
Place the shungite in a container with water at room temperature and leave to infuse for 3 days: there is no need to close the container (you can cover it with gauze).
At first the water will take on a black tint, but will gradually become transparent, and black mineral dust will settle to the bottom.
After just an hour of infusion, the water will be cleared of bacteria and nitrates, and after three days it will acquire healing properties, at least that’s what traditional healers say.
Drain the infused water, leaving about 3 cm of water at the bottom.

After each use, the stone should be washed thoroughly, cleaned with a brush once a month, and replaced with a new one every six months.

Unlike silicon water, water purified using shungite hascontraindications:

Tendency to thrombosis.
Oncological diseases and the tendency to develop them.
Increased acidity.
Diseases in the acute stage.

Therefore, before using this stone as a cleaning filter, it is better to consult with your doctor.

8. Folk remedies for water purification

Traditional medicine offers a lot of water purification methods, but we will look at the most popular and effective ones.

And let's begin with apple cider vinegar, a teaspoon of which is diluted in a liter of water, after which the liquid is allowed to brew for 2 - 3 hours so that the microbes die.

Instead of vinegar you can use 5% iodine, which is added to water at the rate of 3 drops of iodine per liter of water. Let the water sit for 2 hours, after which you can consume it.

Let’s immediately make a reservation that water purified using vinegar or iodine (and some recommend using these components simultaneously for purification) has a rather unpleasant odor and unusual taste.

In addition, it should be remembered that excess iodine in the body can lead to malfunctions:

Muscle weakness.
Persistent low-grade fever in the absence of signs of any disease.
Increased sweating.
Diarrhea.
Mood swings.

Therefore, you should be careful when purifying drinking water with iodine.

Purified water has a pleasant smell and taste. bunches of rowan. By the way, some experts put the use of rowan on par with water purification with silver or activated carbon in terms of effectiveness.

To purify water, simply place a thoroughly washed bunch of ripe rowan berries in a container of water. Natural antibiotics, which this plant is rich in, will destroy bacteria in 3 hours no worse than chlorine.

Instead of rowan bunches, you can use onion peels, bird cherry leaves and juniper branches to purify water, but then, in order to purify, the water must be infused for at least 12 hours.

Important! To enhance the cleansing effect, it is recommended to filter the water after infusion.

Despite its simplicity, traditional methods They are not able to completely purify water from chlorine compounds and microbes, so you shouldn’t place much hope on them.

In any case, from the proposed list, you can choose the most suitable purification option for yourself, thanks to which the water will become not only healthy, but also tastier!

Everyone knows that it is better not to drink tap water, as it can be harmful to health. Even boiling does not solve all problems with drinking water. You can, of course, buy water in stores, but this is quite expensive and not always convenient. A simple and reasonable solution would be to purify drinking water at home. There are many quite effective and reliable built-in household filters for water purification, faucet attachments, portable filter jugs and different settings for water repurification. However, there are other methods to purify tap water.

Basic methods for self-purification of tap water

Sedimentation of tap water

Chlorine destroys pathogenic bacteria, so city water supply is chlorinated. As a result of this process, water becomes bad taste and smell. It is unsafe to drink such water, since chlorine tends to accumulate in the body, which is unsafe for health.

During boiling, chlorine forms compounds harmful to the human body. To avoid this, it is recommended to settle tap water. To do this, pour water from the tap into a container (preferably glass, not plastic) and leave for 6-8 hours. During this time, impurities of heavy metals and chlorine compounds will evaporate from the water, and heavy metal salts will settle to the bottom. Next, you need to carefully pour 3/4 of the liquid into another container, and drain the remaining sediment.

Saturation of water with silicon

Silicon is the strongest water activator, has powerful bactericidal properties and is one of the best filters. Water, after being treated with silicon, becomes pleasant to the taste, does not spoil and can be stored for a long time. This is an easy way to get required quantity an element that has been used by people for centuries. Previously, they even lined the bottoms of wells with black silicon. It is a mineral that includes silicon dioxide. Silicon is able to stabilize the structure of water and displace pathogenic substances from it that negatively affect our body.

Silicon can be purchased at some pharmacies, ordered from online stores, or found at stone shows. Can also be found in natural conditions.

Before you start filtering tap water using flint, you need to thoroughly wash the stones, then fill them with water and leave them for several days. You need to filter the water in a glass container, covering it with gauze to prevent dust from getting in. It is better to leave the container with water at room temperature and daylight (but not in direct sunlight). The crystals must be washed systematically (once a week) so that plaque does not form on them.

Silicon water should be stored in a glass container under closed lid. In this way, the water will retain its healing properties for several months. To improve your health, you should drink this water in small portions several times a day. Water containing silicon cannot be boiled.

Freezing water

During the freezing process, the water is purified from heavy metal salts. Melt water is good for human health.

This method is very simple and accessible to everyone. You just need to dial cold water into plastic bottles, place in the freezer and wait until about half freezes. Unfrozen water must be drained, as it is harmful to the human body.

The ice needs to be defrosted, it is useful to drink melt water and wash your face with it (it has a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin). It is important to consider here that only ice that is transparent is useful. If the ice is cloudy, it means it’s in the water. high concentration harmful substances.

The disadvantage of this method of water purification is that along with harmful salts, beneficial salts that are necessary for the human body are also destroyed.

Water purification with activated carbon

Filtering water with activated carbon is very effective way. Coal helps improve the taste and smell of water, rids it of harmful impurities by absorbing harmful substances.

To purify tap water using activated carbon, you need to wrap the tablets in gauze or cotton wool and place them at the bottom of a glass container with water. The liquid will be cleared in this way in 10-12 hours.

When using this method, it is important to know that water with coal cannot be kept in a warm room, so that the coal does not become a habitat for various microorganisms.

Silver water purification

Everyone knows that silver has bactericidal properties and perfectly purifies water.

To purify water in this way, it is best to use 925 silver. A silver object, such as a silver spoon, should be placed in a glass container with water and left for 8-10 hours. Before use, wash the spoon thoroughly using baking soda. If a silver object is tarnished, it must be rubbed until it shines, since the oxide film on its surface prevents normal contact of the silver with water. At the end of filtration, rinse the spoon and wipe it dry.

“Silver” water does not lose its beneficial properties and is stored for a long time.

It is important to know that silver is a toxic and dangerous metal for the human body, so you need to drink this water in doses so that your metabolism is not disrupted.

It should be noted that methods of water purification under natural conditions are somewhat different.

Water purification with additives

Purify tap water yourself You can also add various liquids and substances to it:

- Vinegar. For 1 liter of water you need to add 1 teaspoon of vinegar:

- Iodine. For 1 liter of water you will need 3 drops of 5% iodine;

- Wine. Pour 300 grams of young dry white wine into 1 liter of water;

- Bunch of rowan. Natural antibiotics contained in rowan will destroy bacteria in the water within 3 hours no worse than chlorine. An accessible and simple way.

- Willow bark, juniper branches, bird cherry leaves or onion peel in terms of the nature of their effect on bacteria in water, they are in no way inferior to the properties of mountain ash. Cleaning time is slightly longer - about 12 hours.

It is worth emphasizing that filtering and disinfecting water must be carried out following the instructions. It is important to wait the designated time and not rush.

Physico-chemical methods of water purification

As the name suggests, water purification methods in this group combine chemical and physical effects on water pollutants. They are quite diverse and are used to remove the most different substances. These include dissolved gases, fine liquid or solid particles, heavy metal ions, as well as various substances in a dissolved state. Physico-chemical methods can be used both at the preliminary cleaning stage and at later stages for deep cleaning.

The variety of methods in this group is great, so the most common of them are given below:

flotation;
sorption;
extraction;
ion exchange;
electrodialysis;
reverse osmosis;
thermal methods.

Flotation, as applied to water treatment, is the process of separating hydrophobic particles by passing a large number of gas bubbles (usually air) through water. The wettability of the separated pollutant is such that the particles are fixed on the interface between the phases of the bubbles and, together with them, rise to the surface, where they form a layer of foam that can be easily removed. If the separated particle turns out to be larger in size than the bubbles, then together they (particle + bubbles) form a so-called flotation complex. Flotation is often combined with the use chemical reagents, for example, sorbed on pollutant particles, thereby reducing its wettability, or being coagulants and leading to the enlargement of removed particles. Flotation is primarily used to purify water from various petroleum products and oils, but it can also remove solid impurities, the separation of which is ineffective by other methods.

Exist various option implementation of the flotation process, which is why the following types are distinguished:

foam;
pressure;
mechanical:
pneumatic;
electric;
chemical, etc.

Let us give an example of the operating principle of some of them. A widely used method is pneumatic flotation, in which the formation of an upward flow of bubbles is created by installing aerators, usually in the form of perforated pipes or plates, at the bottom of the tank. The air supplied under pressure passes through the perforations, due to which it is split into separate bubbles, which carry out the flotation process itself. In pressure flotation, the stream of purified water is mixed with a stream of water supersaturated with gas and under pressure, and fed into the flotation chamber. With a sharp drop in pressure, gas dissolved in water begins to release in the form of small bubbles. In the case of electroflotation, the process of bubble formation occurs on the surface of electrodes located in the water being purified when an electric current flows through them.

Sorption methods are based on the selective absorption of pollutants in the surface layer of the sorbent (adsorption) or in its volume (absorption). In particular, to purify water, an adsorption process is used, which can be physical and chemical in nature. The difference lies in the way the adsorbed pollutant is retained: through molecular interaction forces (physical adsorption) or through the formation of chemical bonds (chemical adsorption or chemisorption). Methods in this group can achieve great efficiency and remove even low concentrations of pollutants from water at high flow rates, which makes them preferable as post-treatment methods at the final stages of the water purification and water treatment process. Sorption methods can remove various herbicides and pesticides, phenols, surfactants, etc.

Substances such as activated carbons, silica gels, aluminum gels and zeolites are used as adsorbents. Their structure is made porous, which significantly increases the specific area of the adsorbent per unit volume, which is why the process is more efficient. The adsorption purification process itself can be carried out by mixing the water to be purified and an adsorbent, or by filtering water through a layer of adsorbent. Depending on the sorbent material and the pollutant being extracted, the process can be regenerative (the adsorbent is used again after regeneration) or destructive, when the adsorbent must be disposed of due to the impossibility of its regeneration.

Water purification using the liquid method extraction consists in the use of extractants. In relation to water purification, an extractant is an immiscible or slightly miscible liquid with water that dissolves pollutants extracted from water much better. The process is carried out as follows: the purified water and the extractant are mixed to develop a large phase contact surface, after which a redistribution of dissolved pollutants occurs in them, most of which passes into the extractant, then the two phases are separated. The extractant saturated with extracted pollutants is called extract, and purified water is called raffinate. The extractant can then be utilized or regenerated depending on the process conditions. This method mainly removes organic compounds such as phenols and organic acids from water. If the extracted substance is of a certain value, then after regeneration of the extractant, instead of disposal, it can be usefully used for other purposes. This fact promotes the application of the extraction method of purification to wastewater from enterprises for the extraction and subsequent use or return to production of a number of substances lost with wastewater.

Ion exchange It is mainly used in water treatment for the purpose of softening water, that is, removing hardness salts. The essence of the process is the exchange of ions between water and a special material called an ion exchanger. Ion exchangers are divided into cation exchangers and anion exchangers depending on the type of exchanged ions. From a chemical point of view, an ion exchanger is a high-molecular substance consisting of a framework (matrix) with a large amount functional groups, capable of ion exchange. There are natural ion exchangers, such as zeolites and sulfonated carbons, which were used in the early stages of the development of ion exchange purification, but now artificial ion exchange resins have become widespread, significantly superior to their natural analogues by ion exchange capacity. The ion exchange cleaning method has become widespread, both in industry and in everyday life. Household ion exchange filters, as a rule, are not used to work with heavily contaminated water, so the resource of one filter is enough for cleaning large quantity water, after which the filter must be disposed of. At the same time, during water treatment, the ion-exchange material is most often subject to regeneration using solutions with high content H + or OH - ions.

Electrodialysis is a complex method combining membrane and electrical processes. It can be used to remove various ions from water and carry out desalting. Unlike conventional membrane processes, electrodialysis uses special ion-selective membranes that allow ions to pass through only a certain sign. The apparatus for carrying out electrodialysis is called an electrodialyzer and is a series of chambers separated by alternating cation-exchange and anion-exchange membranes, into which purified water flows. In the outer chambers there are electrodes to which the D.C.. Under the influence of the emerging electric field The ions begin to move towards the electrodes according to their charge until they encounter an ion-selective membrane with a matching charge. This leads to the fact that in some chambers there is a constant outflow of ions (desalting chambers), while in others, on the contrary, their accumulation is observed (concentration chamber). By dividing the flows from different chambers, it is possible to obtain concentrated and desalted solutions. Undeniable advantages This method consists not only in purifying water from ions, but also in obtaining concentrated solutions of the separated substance, which allows it to be returned back to production. This makes electrodialysis especially popular at various chemical plants, where some of the valuable components are lost along with the wastewater, and the use of this method is made cheaper by obtaining a concentrate.

Additional information on electrodialysis

Reverse osmosis refers to membrane processes and is carried out under pressure greater than osmotic. Osmotic pressure - excessive hydrostatic pressure, applied to a solution separated by a semipermeable partition (membrane) from a pure solvent, at which diffusion of the pure solvent through the membrane into the solution stops. Accordingly, at an operating pressure above the osmotic pressure, a reverse transition of the solvent from the solution will be observed, due to which the concentration of the dissolved substance will increase. In this way, dissolved gases, salts (including hardness salts), colloidal particles, as well as bacteria and viruses can be separated. Also, reverse osmosis installations are distinguished by the fact that they are used to obtain fresh water from the sea. This type of cleaning has been successfully used both in living conditions, and during processing Wastewater and water treatment.

Additional information on reverse osmosis and reverse osmosis systems

Thermal methods are based on the effect of elevated or reduced temperatures on the purified water. Evaporation is one of the most energy-intensive processes, but it produces water high degree purity and a highly concentrated solution with non-volatile contaminants. Also, concentration of impurities can be carried out using freezing, since it begins to crystallize first pure water, and only then the remaining part with dissolved pollutants. By evaporation, as well as by freezing, it is possible to carry out crystallization - the separation of impurities in the form of crystals that precipitate from a saturated solution. As an extreme method, thermal oxidation is used, when the purified water is atomized and exposed to high-temperature combustion products. This method is used to neutralize highly toxic or difficult to degrade pollutants.

The importance of clean drinking water for the human body has been proven a long time ago; since then, various filtration systems have become increasingly in demand. In addition, many people are interested in how to purify water using improvised means. This is especially true in case of insurance, if for some reason special devices do not inspire confidence or have become unusable. And such methods also allow you to significantly save money spent on all kinds of installations and cartridges.

All you have to do is choose suitable option liquid processing, or even several, and debug the system of its operation to cover the needs of the whole family.

Advantages and disadvantages of boiling, settling and freezing

First of all, it is necessary to evaluate the simplest and available methods, which are used to purify tap water. These are physical options for exposure without the use of any filter, which have both obvious advantages and serious disadvantages:

Boiling. During exposure to tap water high temperature The liquid is sterilized. The main advantage of the approach is the fact that pathogenic microorganisms die. True, for cleansing to actually occur, the product must be boiled for at least 15 minutes with the lid open. Only then will the harmful components evaporate. It is worth considering that the water becomes “dead”, i.e. useless for the body, and nothing can be done about it. In addition, chlorine does not disappear anywhere, but only changes, turning into an even more dangerous compound for humans.

Advocacy. Another simple approach, the use of which is convenient only if there are no time restrictions. You need to pour the liquid into the bowl and leave for at least 8 hours. This type of water purification at home allows you to get rid of chlorine and a number of other volatile chemical compounds. True, heavy metals remain in the liquid, although they settle to the bottom. To get rid of them, the water should not be stirred or stirred, and after steeping it must be carefully poured into another container, leaving at least a quarter of the product at the bottom.

Freezing. Today, water purification by freezing is considered one of the most effective among primitive physical techniques. You need to do the following: pour water into a saucepan or plastic container and put it in the freezer. Next comes the most difficult part - making sure that only half of the liquid freezes. Then we drain the liquid part (all the salts and harmful components remain in it), and melt the frozen part, and it becomes drinkable. It is recommended to drink this product immediately, because... it is considered healing. Therefore, you need to set a schedule for when it is best to freeze water.

Advice: Today, highly chlorinated water flows from the tap, which is considered safe for humans and supposedly can be used in everyday life. In fact, if you consume it in its “pure” form, you may experience digestive disorders, allergic reactions, penetration of worms into the body and, paradoxically, dehydration.

When choosing between boiling, settling and freezing, you need to take into account that you can control the quality of the product only in the latter case, because Water rich in mineral salts freezes very slowly. Therefore, the use of this approach in the absence of a high-quality filter is considered by experts to be the most logical solution.

Rules for using cleaning components

A number of chemical compounds can be used as a cleaning filter. Most often, water is purified at home with silicon, table salt, shungite, activated carbon and silver. Methods for preparing drinking liquid in these cases are as follows:

Use of table salt. For 2 liters of tap water, take a heaped tablespoon of salt and dissolve it. Let the product sit for 20 minutes, after which it can be consumed. With the help of such a unique filter, the liquid can be made free of heavy metal salts and pathogenic microorganisms. Unfortunately, such purification of tap water cannot be used too often, because...

Cleansing with pharmaceutical silicon. It is best to purchase the product at the pharmacy, so as not to encounter additional problems later. First, the ingredient must be thoroughly rinsed under lukewarm running water. Then we place it in a container with water at the rate of 3 g of stone per 1 liter of liquid. The container with silicon should be covered with gauze and put in a bright place, but away from direct sunlight. This filter will purify water in about 2-3 days. To get the maximum benefit from the product, you need to pour it into a new container, leaving at least 3 cm of sediment in the old one.

Another stone with which people are increasingly purifying water. To make tap liquid drinkable, you need to place a stone weighing 100 g in a liter of water and leave it for three days, then drain it, leaving a little product at the bottom. From time to time, such a natural filter needs to be cleaned with a hard sponge or replaced.

Natural product not only purifies water, but also eliminates unpleasant odors and absorbs harmful substances that have entered the liquid from the surface of the pipes. You just need to wrap a few tablets of the drug in gauze (1 piece per liter of liquid) and place in water for 8 hours.

Silver. Its properties are still used today, because the component is much more effective than carbolic acid and bleach. In order to start water purification, you need to place a silver coin or spoon in a container with tap liquid and leave for at least 10 hours.

At home, if you wish, you can make a real filter, but in terms of quality of work it still cannot surpass the described methods or industrial products.

Simple and safe folk remedies

Before you purify water at home using one of folk remedies, you need to take into account that their effectiveness will directly depend on the quality and environmental friendliness of the components used.

Rowan. Just put a bunch of berries in a container of water and wait a couple of hours. This natural filter purifies water no worse than activated carbon and silver.
Wine, vinegar. People knew how to purify water with wine thousands of years ago. You just need to take 300 ml of white wine (dry, young) per liter of water, mix and leave for at least 4 hours. In the absence of this ingredient, you can use vinegar. Only you need to take no more than a teaspoon for the same volume.

Experts warn that you should not try to quench your thirst with distilled water. Even though this product does not contain harmful components, there is no benefit from it. But regular consumption of such liquid accelerates the process of removing vitamins and minerals from tissues, which is dangerous for the body. Well, the easiest way is to buy at least a simple jug with a filter that will not take up much space, will not cause trouble, and will at the same time provide your family with clean drinking water.