Anyone who has considered investing in specialized filter media is making a great choice for their water purification system. Over the years, filter media has proven to be an effective tool for attaining optimal water filtration.
People are usually familiar with filtration system technology only and not the media used in each system. Their knowledge of their filtration system should go beyond this level. To make the most out of your water filter, you should understand how it works and which one is best for filtrating toxins out of your water.
What Is Filter Media?
Filter media adds a layer of purification to your incoming water supply. It is a granular substance, varying in thickness, placed in a filter that changes the quality of the water flowing through it.
Filter media enhances traditional filtration systems. Traditionally, water is purified via chlorine or chloramines, carbon, reverse osmosis, mixed media, and UV filters to keep the water quality at a healthy level. When using chlorine and chloramines, you must keep the residue in the water to continue purifying it. Large water companies often opt for chloramines because they do not dissipate quickly like chlorine.
However, as much as these water-treating chemicals come in handy, they also tend to have unsavoury health consequences. Filter media can keep this water disinfectant at a good level so that it doesn’t cause health issues.
Filtration media is the workhouse of every water utility, keeping the water purified and safe for humans. However, filtration media are not all equal. Many are designed to treat a broad range of toxins, while others are tailored to remove few impurities. Below are three filtration media used in water purification systems.
1. Zeolite
Zeolite is a top-of-the-line filter media that aims to remove ammonia from the water. It is a natural and sustainable treatment solution for drinking water and wastewater treatment.
Zeolites are highly porous and absorbent minerals. Composed of aluminosilicate minerals, they are useful for capturing and sequestering undesired substances such as ammonia.
How Zeolites Work
Zeolites remove undesired minerals from water surfaces through adsorption. Due to their high pore density, zeolites’ surface area effectively captures and removes high concentrations of contaminants.
Benefits of Using Zeolite Filter Media
Zeolites filter media come with other benefits, including:
- Highly cost-effective
- Effective for removing heavy unwanted elements
- No chemical additives
- Environmentally friendly
2. Granular Activated Carbon
Granular activated carbon (GAC) offers a broad range of water purification applications. It is an excellent adsorption water filtration media for removing dissolved organic matter, odour- and taste-causing substances such as chlorine, other chemicals, and pesticides.
GAC has proven to be a vital water purification media for both homes and industries. It comprises carbon-rich precursor materials such as bituminous coal, sub-bituminous coal, lignite, wood, coconut shells, and peat.
How GAC Works
GAC’s primary mechanism is adsorption. It is made from a wide variety of graphite platelets that are interconnected by non-graphitic carbon bonding, giving it a high adsorption capacity and making it ideal for removing a wide range of contaminants both from liquids and gases. Additionally, carbon’s highly porous nature offers a large surface area for contaminant molecules to adhere to.
Benefits of GAC
Other benefits of GAC are as follows:
- Impressive adsorption capacity
- Potable water grade
3. DMI-Plus
DMI-plus is a powerful and highly effective catalytic water filtration media built to remove iron and manganese from water. DMI-plus’s unique microporous structure efficiently removes iron that has dissolved to almost undetectable levels.
How DMI-Plus Works
DMI-plus is a catalytic adsorbent that targets iron and manganese ions in water, adsorbs them, and removes them from the water.
Benefits of DMI-Plus
- High capacity for iron and manganese ion removal
- Low cost
- No regeneration is required
The Bottom Line
Water treatments using filter media have become increasingly commonplace because of their high capacity for treating water optimally by removing any contaminants present. The filter media you use boils down to the type of water treatment you are looking for. For further information, feel free to get in touch with Waterco, your professional water filter supplier.