Access to Clean Water: How Water Filter Cartridges Prevent Bacteria Growth

Have you ever wondered what is in your water? You might be shocked to learn how contaminated it is, especially if you drink directly from the tap. But this problem is not unique to your home. Access to clean and safe water for drinking is quickly becoming a big problem across the world, especially in developing countries.
What is even worrying is that the problem continues to grow bigger every year. The primary problem is the ever-growing pollution of water sources. Not even underground water aquifers have been spared. It has become very rare to find clean water for drinking even deep in the jungles like it used to be some few decades ago.
The good news is that technology is making things easier by enabling the purification of contaminated water. With good water filter cartridges, you can purify even the most contaminated water. One of the things that water filters do is removing bacteria causing infections in the water.
How Water Filter Cartridges Can Help on Preventing Bacteria Growth
Most of the water supplied to our homes is polluted with many microbes causing infections. If not properly cleaned and treated, drinking water directly from the tap is like drinking diseases. There are tons of bacteria that are likely to be in your tap water, but the most common is the Vibrio Cholerae, which causes the deadly cholera disease, and Salmonella, which causes typhoid.
Another common but deadly bacteria is Legionella, which causes legionellosis. There might also be Shigella that causes shigellosis and Escherichia coli that causes acute diarrheas. All these bacteria usually build up in the water filter and eventually contaminates your drinking water.
To make your drinking water bacteria-free, you need special water filter cartridges designed to remove and prevent the growth of microbes, including bacteria. These water filter cartridges are called bacteriostatic water filters.
What Is A Bacteriostatic Water Filter?
The bacteriostatic water filter cartridges are distinct from the typical water filters that only remove bacteria from water. These cartridges eliminate the problem of bacterial proliferation, which is caused by the breeding and growth of bacteria in your water filter. Bacterial proliferation compromises the quality of filtered water by changing the smell and taste.
The growth of bacteria is promoted by organic matter trapped by the water filter membrane. As the water filter cartridge purifies water, the amount of the trapped matter continues to build up, and this creates a perfect environment for the breeding and growth of bacteria. With time, the secretion from the bacterial will changes the taste and smell of your drinking water.
Ways Water Filter Cartridges Prevent Bacteria Growth
The water filter cartridges use bacteriostatic agents to prevent bacteria growth. As long as organic matter is building up in the filter, the environment is always good for bacteria breeding and growth. What bacteriostatic agents do is making the filter environment inhabitable for all kinds of bacteria.
The widely used antimicrobial agents in water filtration are zinc and silver-based nanoparticles. These agents produce parts that make the environment in the water filter hostile for all kinds of microbes in water. That’s how bacteriostatic water filter cartridges inhibit bacterial growth.
How effective are Water Filter Cartridges in Preventing Bacteria Growth?
The effectiveness of the water filter cartridges in preventing bacteria growth has been proven over the years. The bacteriostatic agents have been used for centuries in the disinfection of water and even wounds. Some like silver are widely used in medical treatments, especially when dealing with antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Silver is known to inhibit cell replication, which makes it difficult for bacteria to multiply. The agent also causes cell dehydration, cell damage, and membrane detachment, and this eventually kills the bacteria.
Zinc is another agent used for preventing bacteria growth in water filters. It is a powerful antimicrobial agent that is widely used in water filtration. Zinc Oxide (ZnO) is the most widely used agent. It has the ability to weaken mitochondria and cause oxidative stress on the bacteria cells. This eventually causes the death of the cell and that of the bacteria.
When used properly used and within the specified period, water filter cartridges are very effective in preventing bacteria growth. However, the effectiveness of the bacteriostatic filters greatly depends on the quality of the agents. That’s why the brand of the water filter is a crucial factor.
What Makes Good Bacteriostatic Water Filter Cartridges?
The choice of the antimicrobial water filter cartridge will greatly determine the quality of filtered water. That’s the reason why you need to choose carefully. There are so many brands in the market, with some being very new. Invest in a product that has a good reputation in the market. The brand is a factor that determines how good a bacteriostatic water filter cartridge is.
The size of the water filter is also another crucial factor to consider. Do not make the mistake of buying a unit that does not match your drinking water needs. Bacteriostatic cartridges are usually found in multi-stage filter systems capable of filtering a large amount of water. Therefore, make sure that you have gotten the size correct for an efficient supply of clean and safe drinking water.
The lifespan of the water filter cartridge is also a critical factor to consider. The bacteriostatic water filter cartridges are designed to last for a very long time because of the sheer size of the water filtration system. Some can last for up to 3 years. However, a 12 months lifespan would be the best to retain high-quality drinking water. A longer lifespan can compromise the quality of the filtered water.
In conclusion, antimicrobial water filter cartridges are essential with modern water filtration systems. These cartridges are designed to address the problem of bacterial proliferation, which is a big problem with the typical water filters. With the inhibition of bacteria growth, the quality of your drinking will be greatly improved.