Filtration media refers to the filter cartridges that sit in filter housings and to which water passes through to clean the floating matter from the water before say UV filtration is used. Depending on the type of impurities and toxins in the water source, the chemicals or treatment method used and information about the city’s water infrastructure will help you decide which media filter will be required. Pipes that leach heavy metals can contaminate water in homes.
Below are the most widely used water filtration media:
UV Filtration:
The best and most efficient method of treating water that has bacteria contamination present. UV light adds nothing to the water and bypassing UV radiation through the water changes the DNA of any bacteria present thereby making it harmless. UV Filtration has been used for decades as the ideal water filtration method. When this method is used with pre-filtration (passing water through water filter media) the UV filtration method is very effective.
Activated Carbon/ Catalytic Carbon:
This is usually made when substances such as coal, wood, or coconut shells are heated in such a way that they do not burn but turn into char. The char is treated to form a porous material, which has an affinity for certain toxins and impurities pulling them out of the water.
This is the preferred media for home water filtration systems. It removes metals, pesticides, organic contaminants, and chlorination byproducts. Chloramine, a chemical that is increasingly being used for water disinfection, can be removed from drinking water by catalytic carbon, an enhanced form of activated carbon.
KDF(Kinetic Degradation Fluxion):
Primarily made up of copper and zinc particles, this media is used to reduce levels of water-soluble heavy metals, hydrogen sulfide, chlorine, and iron. It can also remove impurities like scale, algae, and bacteria. The biggest advantage of this media is that it is cheap, lasts a long time, works better at higher temperatures than carbon, hence ideal for warmer waters. It can be an extremely efficient ‘filter media’ when used along with catalytic carbon.
Mixed Media:
It is a mix of different filter mediums to remove impurities and toxins. These include gravel to filter out sediment from the water, resin to remove tannins and catalytic carbon to reduce chloramine levels.
Reverse Osmosis Membrane:
This is a method by which water molecules are pushed through a semipermeable membrane trapping the water-soluble toxins and impurities. It is an extraordinary system in that it removes dangerous substances like asbestos, chromium, organic compounds, and pyrogens. Although effective RO as it is known is low volume and expensive.
Other types of filter media used include UV filtration, Infrared filtration, Activated Aluminium, and magnesium dioxide.