Can UV Sterilisation With LED Eliminate Bacteria, Viruses & Protozoa
From Your Drinking Water
Read on for advice on how to protect yourself and your family from these nasties
Are You Regularly Falling Ill For No Reason Whatsoever?
That Could Be Due To Pathogens In Your Drinking Water
The problem with microorganisms is that they are not solitary little creatures, they love to hang around in groups of billions. With number like that even the healthiest of immune systems might struggle to put up a defence.
Scientist have somehow estimated that even the average glass of “clean” tap water contains ten million bacteria, all waiting to find the perfect host body. But it is not all bad news as some of these are considered to be good bacteria that can actually improve your health. The only problem is that you don’t know if you are ingesting friend or foe.
In this post, I’m going to explain how these critters end up in your drinking water in the first place, and that maybe it is safer to indiscriminately kill them all!
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Some Of Those Are Considered “Good Bacteria”
None Of These Can Survive Exposure To Ultraviolet UV-C Light
How Do These Microorganisms End Up In Your Drinking Water?
There Is No Escaping Them It Seems
If your drinking water comes from a well or borehole then there is little hope of avoiding these microorganisms as they are everywhere. Just image all the decay and waste that sinks into the ground, eventually reaching the source of your “clean” water. Even rainwater is not safe, collecting germs from the air and bird-poop splattered tiles and guttering.
How Natural Water Sources Can Become Contaminated
But tap water is safe, right? Maybe, as all water companies in the UK are required by law to disinfect water before it is pumped out, typically with chlorine or some other chemical. But then why the recent health warnings about high levels or germs in tap water across North Yorkshire, where coliform bacteria (commonly found in the digestive systems of animals) was detected. Does this mean that we need yet more “safe” chlorine in our drinking water?
It seems that the only sure-fire way to protect your gut is to zap these pathogens with some ultraviolet (UV) light, which will rip apart their DNA and render them harmless. I suppose it means that you are still ingesting their “carcasses”, but better dead than alive I say!
Sweet Spot Is At 264nm (Nanometers)
Also Works On Humans So Be Careful!
Here Are Some Lovely Images Of Waterborne Microorganisms
Could This Be The Perfect Weapon Against Waterborne Pathogens?
Ultraviolet UV-C Disinfection Technology
Devices are available that can be attached to your water supply, either at POE (Point of Entry) or POU (Point of Use), to destroy any waterborne pathogens that might be present. High intensity ultraviolet light from these enclosed devices will rip apart the DNA/RNA in the cell structures of microorganisms, effectively killing them without the use of chemicals.
The only problem is that the lamps contained within these devices normally use mercury to generate the ultraviolet light wavelengths required to disinfect. With a typical 1-year lifespan you will need to replace the pressurised glass lamp tube and dispose of it safely, carefully avoiding breakages to prevent mercury contamination. But to be honest these mercury lamp type devices are almost 100% effective at killing germs and are definitely not to be sniffed at – especially if they leak.
So is there a safer alternative? Yes there is and all without the health risks associated with products that contain mercury. It turns out that specialised LED bulbs can also generate the same ultraviolet wavelength range as the conventional mercury-based lamps, along with more than enough intensity to make your drinking water safe.
Are they reliable? Good question as almost all LED bulbs I have ever purchased die within 6 months – not the “guaranteed” 100,000 hours of operation. To be honest they were all manufactured by some unknown random brand and bought on eBay so maybe that is my fault for penny-pinching. But these germ-destroying LED-based devices are expensive so make sure you do more research than you would for a £1.50 LED downlight.
So Is There A UV-C LED Lamp That Is More Reliable Than The Average Downlight?
Cannot Argue With NASA
I have come across one manufacturer that claims their water purification products are “the most certified and tested UV-C LED product range in the world”, along with boasting about certifications from NSF, WQA, ISO, Reach, IEC, and Watermark. I looked into some of these organisations and they seem to be legitimate and not in it for the money (we hope).
They also claim that their products are used on the International Space Station (ISS), definitely an environment where one would insist on a very powerful disinfection system due to the perpetual recycling of water (ie bodily fluids). The manufacturer is question is AquiSense in case you are interested, and here are some of their products that are available in the UK:
AquiSense Range Of Micro LED UV-C Water Purification Products
UVC LED Water Purification Conclusion
With the recent tap water contamination health warnings (which always come too late) it seems that the water companies cannot be trusted to deliver safe water. And perhaps it will never be possible for them to do that until all the old rusted leaking water delivery pipework is renewed across the country.
So, if you are concerned about your drinking water then the only real alternative is to install a UV-C water purification device, either on the incoming mains water pipe or just before the kitchen sink tap.
The mercury lamp devices seem like too much of a maintenance headache for the average (ie can’t be bothered) home owner. The LED-based devices on the other hand seem like a simple maintenance free alternative although with the higher initial cost, which should be easily offset by lower energy usage and longer life bulbs that do not require annual replacements.
You might also want to incorporate a filter to remove that nasty chlorine while you’re at it.
‘UV-C Water Purification’ Videos & More
What Is Ultraviolet UV-C Light
What Is A UV Water Purifier
UV-C LED Water Purifier
PearlAqua Deca UV-C LED Water Purifier
Increasing Pathogen Levels In Water
Animal Waste Contamination In Water