The Future of Water Filtration
The current major concerns in regard to water
quality are lead and disinfection byproducts (Binnie et al,
2002). Lead is a key operational and treatment concern for municipal
water treatment plants. It cannot be considered independently
of other water quality and treatment issues. In fact, it seems
that water disinfection and protection from lead infiltration
are at odds with each other. The pH
level required for disinfection must be below 8.0, but the pH
level required to minimize lead solvency in plumbing systems
is often 8.0 or higher. Water treatment plants provide clean,
disinfected water to home plumbing systems, but this water is
immediately contaminated from lead as it passes through the
plumbing system. The solution to this problem may be the removal
of lead from plumbing systems, a factor that would completely
revolutionize the plumbing industry.
The rising concern over chlorine byproducts is also likely to
affect the future of water filtration. It has long been recognized
that chlorination of water results in the formation of THMs.
THMs are harmful chemicals that form as a reaction between chlorine
and natural, organic materials in water. The most well-known
of the THMs is the poison chloroform. This poisonous gas, detrimental
to the respiratory system when inhaled, is one of the most important
reasons for the installation of shower
filters or whole
house water filters. It is likely that future research will
find other byproducts of chlorination, and the use of chlorine
for disinfection could be restricted.
Though these are all speculations, water filtration and treatment
will, doubtlessly, continue to evolve in the future. The most
important future development may well be the complete transformation
of water filtration technology from municipal water treatment
plants to whole house
water filters, or a combination of the two systems.
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