Mail Today

Pure and safe?

Tue, Nov 9 01:11 PM
A recent report claiming that most water purifiers in India do not completely eliminate water-
borne viruses like Hepatitis E has aroused concern. But experts say that the chemical poisoning
caused by prolonged use of water purifiers is a greater health threat. We check the facts
IF THERE'S one thing we Indians should be afraid of, it's drinking the water in our own country.
Like it or not, the reality is that the water that comes out of our taps is laden with chemicals and
microorganisms. One casual sip of unprocessed water can result in an episode of typhoid,
jaundice or amoebic dysentery. Despite our awareness of the consequences of drinking ' impure'
water, most of us are confused about how we should process water to make it safe and healthy
for drinking.
It's this very confusion that manufacturers of water purifiers cash in on. There are half a dozen of
branded players such as Eureka Forbes, Hindustan Unilever, Ion Exchange India, Usha Shriram
Brita, Tata Chemicals and Kent RO System competing with each other for the biggest share in
the market.
Every brand of water purifier claims to be better than its competitor. " Don't get swayed by
marketing gimmicks. Buy a water purifier based on your needs and the quality of water in your
area," says virologist Dr A K Prasad.
One way to keep your water contaminant-free is to boil it. " Boiling water is an ideal way to
remove both microbes and viruses, which most purifiers don't do," says Dr Narendra Saini,
consultant, Global Hygiene Council.
The trouble is that today's hectic lifestyle doesn't allow the luxury of time needed to boil water.
Also, a concern raised by experts is that though boiling frees water of microbial impurities, it
cannot completely remove hazardous pesticides such as lindane, malathion, solvents, etc.
Therefore, to protect yourself and your family from water- borne diseases, water purifiers have
become inevitable.
Nowadays, most water purifiers in the market run on reverse osmosis (RO), ultra- violet (UV)
treatment and filtration or chemical purification. Here we help you in finding a water purifier that
suits your needs.
CHEMICAL BASED PURIFIERS
THE cheapest of the lot, storage water purifiers are becoming hot selling items as they do not
require electricity or running water to operate and don't pinch the purse. In fact, last year Tata
launched a storage water purifier 'Swach' priced at Rs 999. However, despite their advantages
these storage water purifiers have run into controversies because of the chemicals they rely on to
disinfect water. According to experts, there is an overdose of these. The residues of these
chemicals are toxic and could cause chemical poisoning in the long run, which is becoming a
concern in the developing world where many deaths have been reported from it.
Some months ago, Healthy You Foundation, a consumer health organisation, raised concerns
over storage water purifiers which use an overdose of chemicals such as chlorine to kill bacteria
 and viruses. All the five popular brands which were studied in its report failed to disclose the
form of chemicals used and the residues of chemicals the purification process leaves behind in
their product to consumers.
"Some of the brands use chemicals which aren't meant for disinfecting drinking water whereas
others use the right chemicals but in doses much higher than necessary," says Bejon Mishra of
Healthy You Foundation.
Experts say that there is no absolute way to determine the safety of storage water purifiers as
most companies don't disclose the chemicals used in the process. For instance, the popular brand
PureIt has been accused of using a form of chlorine known as TCCA which is used worldwide
predominantly for sanitising swimming pools and is not approved as drinking water disinfectant
in a water purifier.
YOU SHOULD KNOW
One way to ensure if the purifier is capable of removing chemicals, which were used in the
purification process is to check the taste of water after the filtration.
Nowadays purifiers come with ' auto shut off ' feature which means it gets switched off when the
chemical which disinfects the water finishes.
However, what most brands won't tell you is the expiry date of the ' polisher' which washes off
the toxic dosage of chemicals and its residues. " Get your polisher changed in time as it protects
you from toxic residuals of the chemicals," says an industry expert.
Although chemical- based water purifiers such as PureIt, AquaSure and Swach claim to kill
viruses, the same can't be said about purifiers such as Kent Gold which use non- chemical
filtration technology such as hollow fibre based filtration technology. " Such technologies
wouldn't pose a chemical safety issue as the underlying technology does not use germ- killing
chemicals but at the same time it won't protect you from viruses either," says Mishra.
ELECTRIC WATER PURIFIERS
THE more expensive the water purifier, the better it is, or so most of us believe. Many Indians
are going for high- end RO and UV based water purifiers without considering the quality of
water in the area they reside in.
Both RO and UV based purification systems have their own benefits and downsides and it's best
to figure out whether they are likely to suit your requirements.
REVERE OSMOSIS
REVERSE osmosis purifies water by using pressure to force water through a membrane that
retains the contaminants on one side and allows pure water to pass to the other side. The high
quality semi permeable membrane ensures higher purification of water by trapping 99 per cent
impurities and dissolved solids, including salt. " RO is the only purification system which
removes hardness as well as total dissolved solids from your drinking water," says an industry
expert.
However, this form of filtration process works best where the water is hard or salty in taste.
Also, RO is a slow process and requires more time to purify the water. It wastes a lot of water
while it is running. Typically, it wastes nearly four litres of water to produce one litre of pure
water.
So, it can be a bad choice for areas where the supply of water is unpredictable.
 According to experts, another concern with RO technology is that a lot of essential minerals in
water get lost in the purification process. Drinking RO water for a longer period may even lead
to a deficiency of natural minerals.
Also, it reduces the pH levels of water which can cause imbalances in the body.
YOU SHOULD KNOW
RO is suitable for areas where the water is hard and saline or where water is sourced from bore
wells or deep tube wells.
Experts advise the use of RO systems only where Total Dissolved Solids ( TDS) levels are above
500 mg per litre. Best is to get the quality of water in your area tested by sending it to a
laboratory such as Delhi Water & General Test Lab.
Though advanced and efficient, RO purifiers are expensive and require maintenance. Their filters
have to be changed to avoid growth of bacteria. So, buy them if it suits your pocket.
The semi permeable membrane used in a reverse osmosis purifier wears off fast if it is of inferior
quality. So, choose a brand that is covered by an adequate warranty agreement.
UV PURIFIERS
THE most popular in India, UV system uses UV light to cleanse bacteria and germs without
altering the taste of water. The biggest advantage of UV system is that it doesn't introduce any
toxic byproducts and doesn't change the chemical composition of water. However, it is essential
to choose UV system with an effective carbon filtration. This is because UV system only
cleanses biological contaminants and not heavy metals, pesticides, chlorine and other chemical
contaminants.
YOU SHOULD KNOW
A UV system is not a good choice in areas with salty or turbid water. It is only meant for places
where the water is treated to a certain extent before it reaches homes or where the source of
water is a river or lake. This is because UV system is not good at removing dissolved solids.
Buy UV system with activated carbon or other filtration method.
harsha.chawla@mailtoday.in
DO THIS
Fibre is the secret to losing weight without going hungry. A recent study says that those who
increased their daily fibre intake from 12 grams to 24 absorbed 90 calories lesser per day than
those who ate the same amount of food but less fibre. Eating a bowel of oats for breakfast is one
way of upping your fibre.
Reproduced From Mail Today. Copyright 2010. MTNPL. All rights reserved.
• Email Story
• IM Story
 Pure and safe?
Tue, Nov 9 01:11 PM
A recent report claiming that most water purifiers in India do not completely eliminate water-
borne viruses like Hepatitis E has aroused concern. But experts say that the chemical poisoning
caused by prolonged use of water purifiers is a greater health threat. We check the facts
IF THERE'S one thing we Indians should be afraid of, it's drinking the water in our own country.
Like it or not, the reality is that the water that comes out of our taps is laden with chemicals and
microorganisms. One casual sip of unprocessed water can result in an episode of typhoid,
jaundice or amoebic dysentery. Despite our awareness of the consequences of drinking ' impure'
water, most of us are confused about how we should process water to make it safe and healthy
for drinking.
It's this very confusion that manufacturers of water purifiers cash in on. There are half a dozen of
branded players such as Eureka Forbes, Hindustan Unilever, Ion Exchange India, Usha Shriram
Brita, Tata Chemicals and Kent RO System competing with each other for the biggest share in
the market.
Every brand of water purifier claims to be better than its competitor. " Don't get swayed by
marketing gimmicks. Buy a water purifier based on your needs and the quality of water in your
area," says virologist Dr A K Prasad.
One way to keep your water contaminant-free is to boil it. " Boiling water is an ideal way to
remove both microbes and viruses, which most purifiers don't do," says Dr Narendra Saini,
consultant, Global Hygiene Council.
The trouble is that today's hectic lifestyle doesn't allow the luxury of time needed to boil water.
Also, a concern raised by experts is that though boiling frees water of microbial impurities, it
cannot completely remove hazardous pesticides such as lindane, malathion, solvents, etc.
Therefore, to protect yourself and your family from water- borne diseases, water purifiers have
become inevitable.
 Nowadays, most water purifiers in the market run on reverse osmosis (RO), ultra- violet (UV)
treatment and filtration or chemical purification. Here we help you in finding a water purifier that
suits your needs.
CHEMICAL BASED PURIFIERS
THE cheapest of the lot, storage water purifiers are becoming hot selling items as they do not
require electricity or running water to operate and don't pinch the purse. In fact, last year Tata
launched a storage water purifier 'Swach' priced at Rs 999. However, despite their advantages
these storage water purifiers have run into controversies because of the chemicals they rely on to
disinfect water. According to experts, there is an overdose of these. The residues of these
chemicals are toxic and could cause chemical poisoning in the long run, which is becoming a
concern in the developing world where many deaths have been reported from it.
Some months ago, Healthy You Foundation, a consumer health organisation, raised concerns
over storage water purifiers which use an overdose of chemicals such as chlorine to kill bacteria
and viruses. All the five popular brands which were studied in its report failed to disclose the
form of chemicals used and the residues of chemicals the purification process leaves behind in
their product to consumers.
"Some of the brands use chemicals which aren't meant for disinfecting drinking water whereas
others use the right chemicals but in doses much higher than necessary," says Bejon Mishra of
Healthy You Foundation.
Experts say that there is no absolute way to determine the safety of storage water purifiers as
most companies don't disclose the chemicals used in the process. For instance, the popular brand
PureIt has been accused of using a form of chlorine known as TCCA which is used worldwide
predominantly for sanitising swimming pools and is not approved as drinking water disinfectant
in a water purifier.
YOU SHOULD KNOW
One way to ensure if the purifier is capable of removing chemicals, which were used in the
purification process is to check the taste of water after the filtration.
Nowadays purifiers come with ' auto shut off ' feature which means it gets switched off when the
chemical which disinfects the water finishes.
However, what most brands won't tell you is the expiry date of the ' polisher' which washes off
the toxic dosage of chemicals and its residues. " Get your polisher changed in time as it protects
you from toxic residuals of the chemicals," says an industry expert.
Although chemical- based water purifiers such as PureIt, AquaSure and Swach claim to kill
viruses, the same can't be said about purifiers such as Kent Gold which use non- chemical
filtration technology such as hollow fibre based filtration technology. " Such technologies
wouldn't pose a chemical safety issue as the underlying technology does not use germ- killing
chemicals but at the same time it won't protect you from viruses either," says Mishra.
ELECTRIC WATER PURIFIERS
THE more expensive the water purifier, the better it is, or so most of us believe. Many Indians
are going for high- end RO and UV based water purifiers without considering the quality of
water in the area they reside in.
Both RO and UV based purification systems have their own benefits and downsides and it's best
to figure out whether they are likely to suit your requirements.
 REVERE OSMOSIS
REVERSE osmosis purifies water by using pressure to force water through a membrane that
retains the contaminants on one side and allows pure water to pass to the other side. The high
quality semi permeable membrane ensures higher purification of water by trapping 99 per cent
impurities and dissolved solids, including salt. " RO is the only purification system which
removes hardness as well as total dissolved solids from your drinking water," says an industry
expert.
However, this form of filtration process works best where the water is hard or salty in taste.
Also, RO is a slow process and requires more time to purify the water. It wastes a lot of water
while it is running. Typically, it wastes nearly four litres of water to produce one litre of pure
water.
So, it can be a bad choice for areas where the supply of water is unpredictable.
According to experts, another concern with RO technology is that a lot of essential minerals in
water get lost in the purification process. Drinking RO water for a longer period may even lead
to a deficiency of natural minerals.
Also, it reduces the pH levels of water which can cause imbalances in the body.
YOU SHOULD KNOW
RO is suitable for areas where the water is hard and saline or where water is sourced from bore
wells or deep tube wells.
Experts advise the use of RO systems only where Total Dissolved Solids ( TDS) levels are above
500 mg per litre. Best is to get the quality of water in your area tested by sending it to a
laboratory such as Delhi Water & General Test Lab.
Though advanced and efficient, RO purifiers are expensive and require maintenance. Their filters
have to be changed to avoid growth of bacteria. So, buy them if it suits your pocket.
The semi permeable membrane used in a reverse osmosis purifier wears off fast if it is of inferior
quality. So, choose a brand that is covered by an adequate warranty agreement.
UV PURIFIERS
THE most popular in India, UV system uses UV light to cleanse bacteria and germs without
altering the taste of water. The biggest advantage of UV system is that it doesn't introduce any
toxic byproducts and doesn't change the chemical composition of water. However, it is essential
to choose UV system with an effective carbon filtration. This is because UV system only
cleanses biological contaminants and not heavy metals, pesticides, chlorine and other chemical
contaminants.
YOU SHOULD KNOW
A UV system is not a good choice in areas with salty or turbid water. It is only meant for places
where the water is treated to a certain extent before it reaches homes or where the source of
water is a river or lake. This is because UV system is not good at removing dissolved solids.
Buy UV system with activated carbon or other filtration method.
harsha.chawla@mailtoday.in
DO THIS
 Fibre is the secret to losing weight without going hungry. A recent study says that those who
increased their daily fibre intake from 12 grams to 24 absorbed 90 calories lesser per day than
those who ate the same amount of food but less fibre. Eating a bowel of oats for breakfast is one
way of upping your fibre.