MadSci Network: Environment & Ecology
Query:

Re: Can filtered water from an activated carbon filter be worse than tap water

Date: Sun Sep 7 20:40:27 2003
Posted By: Kieran Kelly, Chemical engineer
Area of science: Environment & Ecology
ID: 1061907926.En
Message:

In addition to residual chlorine, carbon filters remove organic material causing unpleasant colors, smells and tastes. They do not remove Cryptosporidium bacteria (you'd need a reverse osmosis system instead), which isn't an issue for most people, but is something to be aware of.

You didn't tell us what part of the country you are from, but most municipal water supplies are designed in such a way that you should find very little if any residual chlorine at your sink. The chlorine content decreases the further the water travels from the treatment facility. More recently, municipal systems have been upgrading to ozone-treatment rather than chlorine-treatment for disinfecting. A carbon filter in your home may, in fact, be redundant, depending on what your water utility is already using to treat the water you receive (Note: these comments do not apply if your home is supplied by a private well). You can always ask your water utility for more information about their treatment methods.

But to your question about taking filtered water on a family trip, I don't have enough information to give you an exact answer. Assuming that you are being supplied with potable water at home, you shouldn't need to filter your water further for your trip - tap water is safe. Carbon filtration does not affect the bacterial “resistance” of water - it simply removes the bacteria and other volatiles. Storing water in the fridge is a good way to keep bacteria from growing in it, much the way it keeps milk from spoiling. The trick is to make sure that the filter is clean before you use it.

I hope this information has been somewhat helpful. And if you are interested in learning about bottled water to take on your family trips instead, the International Bottled Water Association has a great FAQs section.

Have a great trip!

Kieran


Current Queue | Current Queue for Environment & Ecology | Environment & Ecology archives

Try the links in the MadSci Library for more information on Environment & Ecology.



MadSci Home | Information | Search | Random Knowledge Generator | MadSci Archives | Mad Library | MAD Labs | MAD FAQs | Ask a ? | Join Us! | Help Support MadSci


MadSci Network, webadmin@www.madsci.org
© 1995-2003. All rights reserved.