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Everybody concerns the possible harm and danger of tap water at home to our body and wishes to have safe and tasty drinking water in the best way possible. We are already realizing that we can't rely 100% on tap water at home anymore as safe drinking water, but choices of our drinking water became overwhelmingly numerous and confusing in the market. What are the differences among those? Are they really safe and healthy? Without much certainty, we buy something out there hoping it is at least better than tap water, correct? Products currently available such as Bottled water called "Purified water", "Spring water", "Mineral water", Filtered water using various available membrane filters and RO (Reverse Osmosis) system, or other water treatment appliances such as Alkali-ionized water, Magnetized water, π water, or Oxygen water...etc. First of all, we wish to clarify the difinition of "Good and Healthy water" on this page and compare those drinking water current available to know what is really "good water". Here are the seven points of "good drinking water". Good water;
From 1 through 4 conditions must be easy to understand. But, what is "surface tension"? What has "Reduction of Oxidation" got to do with good water? (Please read brief descriptions of benefits below). These three points are importanct factors to create "rejuvenated water" or simply "healthy water". Water treated through various filters and chemical treatments cannot be called "natural water" anymore. It is far different from fresh spring water you can find in the natural resources. That freshly scooped spring water from mountain rivers is the water we are talking about here to rejuvenate our water to. No one can deny that fresh spring water tastes better than any city water available and is easy to imagine it contributes to our health if we can continue drinking that water every day. However, reality is not that simple. Unless we climb up to the mountains or into the woods eveyday or give up secular lives to live there, we have no choice but giving up and getting anything available in the market as just "maybe not that dangerous" water. This is the main reason the Mineral Redox Water has been invented and made avaible. ( go check: Mineral Redox water) Many of business people have been focusing on condition 1 through 4, but we believe that is not enough as "Good Water". Really good and natural water is supposed to be good for your body. 1. Safe and Clean water Tap water is out of question. Mission of tap water to provide clean and safe drinking water has ended. It does not taste good anyway. Moreover, maybe not immediately but in long term it would become health threatening by accumulating various contaminants (What are the health effects of contaminants in drinking water? ) in body taken from your tap water will cause high risk of health for sure. (See Drinking Water and Health , Just Add Water ) High demand of safe water by consumers has made water industry develop various ways to purify water for safety using various filtration systems. Most of the bottled water pass this condition, and counter top purifier makes water drinkable to some extend depending on how much you spend on those appliances (with good knowledge of course). However, purification process also filters all beneficial mineral dissolved in water and decrease its taste and nutritional benefits. (if you wish to check to verify those treatments, see Water Treatment Options ) 2. Total Dissolved Solids (TDS=minerals) that makes good water Freshly scooped water from mountain rivers or springs tastes good because of rich minerals. Bottled water called “Mineral Water” does not necessarily contain the same richness of minerals. Rather most of them are about the same condition of purified or distilled water because they are also through the same purification process. Minerals are necessary in water not only because they are beneficial for our body but also they lower ROP (Reduction Oxidation Potential) voltage (mV=millivolts) and absorb active hydrogen in stable condition. Minerals dissolve themselves better in low mV of ROP, which means minerals can be absorbed in body very smoothly. (See importance of mineral in drinking water) 3. Decent amount of O2 make water tasty Boiled water or distilled water loses O2 on their process. So-called Ionized water or Alkaline water through their electrolyzing process decreases O2 as well. If dissolved O2 decreases, ROP voltage goes down. But the taste of it is much less than water of decent O2. Spring water in mountains absorbs abundant minerals, gets purified and deoxidized through its natural process of underground flow (and contains active hydrogen at that moment). This process makes spring water lose some O2, but water in the stream can absorb O2 as soon as coming out of the underground. That is why the water tastes so good. 4. pH neutral (6.8 - 7.2) is the best as water The degree of acidity or alkalinity of a solution is measured in terms of a value known as pH. Obviously low pH of strong acidity in water causes some health problems and too high pH of strong Alkalinity is not always helpful for our health. 5. Surface tension of water If waters surface tension is very low, it means water is less glutinous and highly permeable into body cells. Tap water measures its surface tension 75~80 dine/cm that is pretty high, and ideal water is lower than 50-55 dine/cm. Its high permeability helps promoting body metabolism. This makes you able to drink a high volume of this water adding to its benefit of taste. 6-7. Oxidation Reduction Potential in water (see What is Oxidation-reduction?) ORP (Oxidation Reduction Potential) represents the oxidation tendency in water. Contaminated water of course has high ORP (as often we see this measurement in swimming pool or industrial usage water). Oxidation of materials is mostly result of natural phenomena such like metal gets rusted to be decayed, buring wood into ashes using oxygen...etc. The same can be said to water and our body celles. Excessive oxygen when activated to connect with other molecules would create harmful molecules to cause dangerous effect to our body cells. Most of the human diseases are analyzed to be related to this reaction. Excessive malicious oxygen are being taken beyond the body system's capacity to eliminate them because of our stressful lives and bad eating habbits including chemical foods. One of the safest method to eliminate those "bad" oxidation effect is to send extra active hydrogen in body and neutralize it into H2O. However, active hydrogen is so reactive and instable that it disappears instantly. To keep active hydrogen alive and to maintain ORP voltage in water low has been sadi to be very hard. Aquatech ProX's patented technology make it possible to keep low ORP from -300mV to -200 mV in water and this "Mineral Redox water" works to remove harmful contaminatns (such as triharomethan or dioxine...etc.) and eliminate those bad active oxygen from our body cells . Now let's check here to see why all conditions above are important by comparing current drinking waters available. Unsolved problems of current drinking waters available Tap water: There are many enough evidence to concern about current water treatment system of tap water by our local water plants and pollution in nature. It is wise enough NOT to drink your local tap water without treatment before analyzing it. There are research and reports on tap water in U.S. is at risk. The reasons are various - 1) water resources are very polluted 2) water plants are too old and can not catch up to meet EPA (US Environmental Protection Agency) standard 3) pluming is aging. But, we are curious if those water purifiers out there in the market are completely out of this risk, right? - Let's check each water treatment methods. Boiling: Long enough boiling will drive out some of the Volatile Organic Components (VOCs) in the water, but it takes time and does not remove many other contaminants in fact, it might concentrate lead, asbestos, mercury, and many toxic organic chemicals. It also boils out lots of oxygen to make water less tasty. Distillation: it could produce pure water to kill parasites and to remove Reverse Osmosis (RO): Numerous kinds and makers available. Water pressure forces water molecules through a membrane to remove salt, nitrates, microscopic parasites or viruses and most other inorganic materials. Any defect in the membrane would allow these organisms stay in that filtered water. RO makes only a few gallons a day for drinking or cooking. RO also might remove all important minerals from water. The unit might cost $300-$1,500, and produces waste water. Water Filters: Over 2,500 different models available by over 500 firms. Each strategy differs per models. It is economic except replacement of the filtration element. But, most of water parasites,
bacteria, cryptosporidia, giardia, etc. will pass through the
pores of filter of 5 micron (5/100 the diameter of a human hair). A filter must trap
particles one micron or smaller to be effective at removing cryptosporidia, giardia cysts.
Sediment Filters : a) Fiber Filters: cellulose, rayon or some other material spun into a mesh with small pores. It does not remove contaminants that are dissolved in the water, like lead, mercury, trihalomethanes or other organic compounds. b) Ceramic Filters: It can reduce asbestos fibers, cysts (if the pores are one micron or smaller), some bacteria (with pore sizes in the 0.2-0.8 micron range) and other particulate matters. But it does not remove contaminants that are dissolved in the water. Activated Carbon Filters : It can attract organic compounds dissolved substance. Hot water can NOT run through it. Two basic kinds of Activated Carbon Filters. a) Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) - Water flows through a bed of loose activated carbon granules to remove some chlorine, organic contaminants and odors. GAC’s pore size of the filter is relatively large, so by themselves cannot physically remove small particulates like bacteria, cryptosporidia, giardia cysts, trihalomethanes, other VOCs, lead, asbestos, or mercury,. Water flows but you do not realize if filter has failed to filter or not. It can collapse due to the pressure of water. Also a bed of charcoal, which traps a bacterium and picks up an organic material can stay there so you are recommended to run water through them a few minutes each morning or change filter frequently. Very Limited in the type and number of contaminants to be removed. b) Solid Block Activated Carbon (SBAC) - Activated carbon is the primary raw material in solid carbon block filters; but instead of carbon granules comprising the filtration medium, the carbon has been specially treated, compressed, and bonded to form a uniform matrix. The effective pore size can be 0.5 - 1 micron which makes it possible to remove pesticides, herbicides, chlorine, chlorine byproducts, etc. and greater particulate filtration of parasitic cysts, asbestos, etc Pitcher filters - Since they contain a very small amount of very loose GAC granules, they CAN NOT be considered effective treatments for most biological contaminants or chemical contaminants of health concern. They are mostly designed to improve the aesthetics of drinking water (taste & odor improvement). Bottled Water: Have you ever found the mineral data of water you need to know on the labels? Mostly the answer is "No". We must keep in mind many bottled waters are simply processed and distilled through reverse osmosis, de-ionization or filtration process as we can do using those filtration products available in the market. These processes are much similar to what we can do by buying purifying appliances at shops. Currently 700 brands of bottled water are available in US, and 80% or more of them are just processed water. They might help you to save some time to make drinkable water but are they really Good Water - Answer is not really. Note: Bottled water is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which requires manufacturers to submit samples regularly for
testing. In the United States, the concentration of contaminants found in bottled water
must be less than the "allowable levels" set by the FDA, which are essentially
the same as the maximum contaminant levels that the EPA requires municipal water supplies
to meet. More info: Bottled Water Web , International Bottled Water Association Ultra Violet Light: Water
passes through a clear chamber where it is exposed to Ultra Violet (UV) Light. UV light
kills bacteria and deactivates viruses but the tough cryptosporidia cyst if fairly
resistant to UV light. Ion exchange: These devices are used for treating specific water problems, like excess iron, manganese, nitrates, etc. Specialized ion exchange units can be purchased to replace the toxic or undesirable ions with safer ions. These systems are generally used as whole house treatment devices. Many of the undesirable {usually} inorganic water contaminants are found in the form of ions - atoms or molecules that have either a positive or negative electric. Water Softening: A specific type of ion exchange system. Typical water softeners are not, by themselves water purification systems. Their sole function is to reduce the hardness of water by replacing calcium and magnesium ions with another ion (others will be removed as well), frequently sodium. A quality filter must be included with the water softener to remove any harmful contaminants you are concerned about. More information about ion exchange and water softening. Also included with these links is some information about magnetic conditioning of water to prevent scaling of pipes. KDF
"Filters" - KDF filters employ a matrix (generally
small granules) of a zinc/copper alloy, which eliminates contaminants from water by
utilizing electrochemical oxidation-reduction. Chemical properties of KDF include its
ability to: Zinc and copper are the preferred metals
used in the KDF alloy since both are relatively good reducing agents with respect to
common inorganic contaminants (such as chlorine), and both can be tolerated in solution in
moderate concentrations without adverse side effects. KDF is the only filter that removes
contaminants from running hot water. KDF filters do not, by themselves, remove
organic chemicals (pesticides, disinfections byproducts, MTBE, etc.), or parasitic
cysts (giardia and cryptosporidium). If you are concerned about removing any of
these contaminants, other strategies will be needed in addition to the KDF media. Chlorine: Zn + Cl2 -> ZnCl2 Hydrogen Sulfide: Cu
+ H2S -> CuS + H2 Iron: Cu + FeO ->
CuO + Fe Ozonation: The formation of oxygen into ozone occurs with the use of energy. This process is carried out by an electric discharge field as in the CD-type ozone generators (corona discharge simulation of the lightning), or by ultraviolet radiation as in UV-type ozone generators (simulation of the ultra-violet rays from the sun). In addition to these commercial methods, ozone may also be made through electrolytic and chemical reactions. Ozone is a naturally occurring component of fresh air. It can be produced by the ultraviolet rays of the sun reacting with the Earth's upper atmosphere, which creates a protective ozone layer, by lightning, or it can be created artificially with an ozone generator. The ozone molecule contains three oxygen atoms whereas the oxygen molecule contains only two. Ozone is a very reactive and unstable gas with a short half-life before it reverts back to oxygen. Ozone is the most powerful and rapid acting oxidizer man can produce, and will oxidize all bacteria, mold and yeast spores, organic material and viruses. Ozone is primarily a disinfectant that effectively kills biological contaminants. Also oxidizes and precipitates iron, sulfur, and manganese so they can be filtered out of solution. Ozone will oxidize and break down many organic chemicals as well, but ozone treatment creates its own set of undesirable that can be harmful to health if they are not controlled (e.g., formaldehyde and bromate). Ozonation is typically used as a POE water treatment method. oxygenated water: There is less dissolved oxygen in 1 liter of 'oxygenated water' than in 1 breath of air. Taking an extra breath of air when exercising would be substantially less expensive than paying $1 to $2 for a liter of these products! The primary way to transport oxygen in the body is bound to hemoglobin in the red blood cells. In normal healthy exercisers, hemoglobin leaving the lungs is already 97% to 98% saturated with oxygen. Oxygenating water has no effect on the body's ability to absorb the oxygen into the bloodstream or transfer it throughout the body. Oxygenated water makes sense for fish that have specialized structures (gills) for exchanging oxygen and carbon dioxide in an aquatic environment, but not for mammals. The digestive system is designed to absorb water and nutrients, not oxygen! Alkaline-ionized Water: Alkaline water is produced first by filtering tap water to remove some contaminants then by electrolyzing it by direct current using both plus and minus electrodes. And only alkaline water (with plus ions) collected around minus electrode will be used for drinking. Acidic water (with minus ions) collected around plus electrode will not be used for drinking. It needs to be emphasized that this alkaline (ionized) water and Mineral Redox water are two different things. (See: What is Mineral Redox water?) : (1) Alkaline water loses its balance in minerals dissolved in each water in its process. Electrolyzed water by direct current will collect plus ions of calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K) and sodium (Na) at the minus electrode. Alkaline water, therefore, contains only those plus ions but wastes all minus ions such as oxygen, chlorine, and carbonic acid which are also essential for human body. On the other hand, Mineral Redox water keeps them beneficial and effectively used for body. For example, chlorine becomes harmful once changed into hypochlorous acid, but chlorine itself is one of essential elements for human life. We need salt in our body, but it is not sodium but chlorine to be used for our needs. Chlorine functions to adjust blood acidity and alkalinity balance, or digestion system. Physiological salt solution is used for intravenous drips because chlorine benefits patients body. Volume of sodium is reduced in its solution. Carbonic acid connected with calcium creates calcium carbonate, structural elements of bones and teeth. It goes without saying that oxygen is essential for our body. : (2) Alkaline water cannot contain those minerals to absorb active hydrogen (to make it stable). Alkaline water does not let minerals absorb active hydrogen so the water cannot store its energy. Alkaline water is sometimes called Oxidation Reduction Water but that is only for very few minutes after the electrolyzing process. If you mingle it with some stick, ORP will jump up and immediately go back to oxidized water. The reason is that only plus ion of active hydrogen is produced by the direct current process which is too active to stay as it is. It could attach itself on surface of minerals but never be absorbed (stored) into minerals. Mineral Redox water, on the other hand, of its super high frequency "alternative current" electrolyzing can create active hydrogen of both plus and minus ions so they will be absorbed in minerals to become stable. : (3) Alkaline water shows over 8 pH. Generally, high pH helps lowering ORP, however natural water is very much neutral in pH. Some patients might continue to take alkaline water to treat their particular disease, but ordinary person might have negative effect if continuing for long time.Mineral Redox Water (click here "What is Mineral Redox Water?")
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