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Pathogens in Water Supply?

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Pathogens in water supply, and the dangers

In the developed world we tend to take our water supply for granted. Many people in the world do not have this luxury. The problem is however, one that we should not overlook. Pathogens in drinking water and the dangers are a worldwide menace, learn how to beat them.

Water filters are very common now, and in most homes. The problem is that although these filters will remove silt and certain larger particle contaminants, they will not remove dangerous pathogens because the filter elements themselves are too large. Learn about some of the dangers here, and some of the solutions.

It may surprise you to find out how many pathogens are water borne. Here's a few of them

 

Disease           Pathogen                                Transmission Route

 

Cholera           Vibrio Cholerae                          Often waterborne

Polio                Polio viruses                               Water / sewage

Crypto             Cryptosporidium Protezoa          Water /bleach resistant

Botulism          Clostridium Botulinum                 Water / food ( loves the inside of tins containing bad food)

Dysentry          More than one                           Water / food

Typhoid           Salmonella Typhi                       Water / food

Giardia            Giardia Lamblia Protezoa           Water borne

 

This is not a complete list, the above are some of the best well known

Contents at a glance

  1. A common worldwide problem
  2. Unseen dangers
  3. Filter and boil if necessary
  4. Not all water filters are the same
  5. Water Filter Products
  6. More Water Filtration
  7. Tell us What You Think

A common worldwide problem

In most parts of the world it is very easy to pick up the larvae of flukes. These can cause severe health problems and are likely to be found in groundwater, lakes and streams in areas frequented by sheep, cattle and deer. The larvae are microscopic and can cause life threatening cysts in the brain. The liver may also be affected. The danger doesn't finish there, as vegetation in infected areas can also carry the larvae of water borne pathogens from bird faeces. This is one of the reasons for always washing fruit and vegatables before eating

Unseen dangers

Cryptosporidium

Another problem, which spans the world, is Cryptosporidium (pictured above). This minute parasite lives in the intestines of infected people and animals. It is released via faeces and can be found in water, the soil and affected vegetation. The infectious material is released in a very tough outer husk that is resistant to many compounds that are used in everyday disinfection. This includes bleach, so it is not the easiest creature to kill. The people who design the advertisement for a product that ' kills 99.9% of all known germs, dead' are well aware of pathogens such as Crypto.The two simplest methods of dealing with Crypto are by boiling the water for at least one minute (longer at higher altitudes) or by the use of water filters that are capable of trapping particles between 0.5 and 1 micron in size.

Another common pathogen is Giardia Lamblia. This can be dealt with in much the same way as Crypto.

Filter and boil if necessary

Boiling is the simplest method to kill most pathogens. There are however examples of pathogens that cannot be quickly killed at 100 degrees Celsius, Botulism is a particularly nasty example. Fortunately this is very rare. It can however be killed in a pressure cooker. Not very convenient on a camping holiday though. The downside of boiling is that it will not remove pesticides, some other pollutants and silt. The safest and most convenient way to make water safe is first to filter the water through an activated charcoal filter, which will remove some pollutants, and then boil the water to kill most pathogens.

Drinking water in the home can be affected in times of flood by pathogens being washed off the land. It is very common nowadays to filter drinking water. Generally most water is filtered to remove silt, sand and chemicals. This also applies to most types of bottled water. This kind of filtration cannot deal with pathogens. The only safe way to do this is by investing in a filter built for the purpose.

Not all water filters are the same

In the home environment drinking water can be affected in times of flood by pathogens being washed off the land. It is very common nowadays to filter drinking water. Generally most water is filtered to remove silt, sand and chemicals. This also applies to most types of bottled water. This kind of filtration cannot deal with pathogens. The only safe way to do this is by investing in a filter built for the purpose.

The ideal water filter for this purpose would remove contaminants down to around 0.5 microns

If you would like information about common parasites in food you can find it here at

Tapeworm and Sushi - Bon Appetit!.

Water Filter Products

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