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How Does a Water Filter Purify Drinking Water?

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Quick Answer

Water filters use physical barriers, activated carbon, and sometimes UV or reverse osmosis to remove contaminants.

The Full Story

Different water filter technologies target different contaminants. Activated carbon filters adsorb chlorine, volatile organic compounds, and bad tastes by trapping molecules in the carbon's vast porous surface area — a single gram of activated carbon can have a surface area exceeding 3,000 m². Sediment filters physically block particles like sand and rust. Reverse-osmosis (RO) systems push water through a semipermeable membrane with pores as small as 0.0001 microns, removing up to 99% of dissolved salts, heavy metals, and pathogens. UV purifiers kill bacteria and viruses by damaging their DNA with ultraviolet light at 254 nm wavelength.

Key Facts

1.The ancient Egyptians used alum to settle particles from water as early as 1500 BCE.
2.A Brita-style jug filter typically contains activated carbon from coconut shells.
3.Ceramic filters, used widely in developing countries, can remove over 99% of bacteria including cholera.

YouTube Angle

Suggested video title for this topic:

"From Murky to Crystal Clear — How Water Filters Work"