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Unsafe Drinking Water A Global Problem with A Solar Powered Solution Written by Greg Hanson, President Nathanael Richards, Vice President of Marketing Aqua Sun International Would you be surprised to know that one of the Worlds most pressing problems is simple to explain, recognized by many, yet shocking when its extent is understood, and even life threatening when experienced first hand? The fact is, there simply is not enough uncontaminated, disinfected drinking water in many areas of the globe to meet the basic needs of human consumption. Despite the fact that water covers six-tenths of the Earths surface, clean, uncontaminated drinking water is perhaps our most rare and endangered resource. In some cases, water in general is very limited, while other locals have an abundance of water, but it is not safe to drink or use due to chemical or biological contamination. The main reason for this is the lack of electrical power in remote areas to drive water pumping and purification equipment. Yet, as serious and widespread as this situation has become, there is a company that manufactures systems for purifying drinking water, in either large or small quantities, simply and inexpensively, for any area in the world? We invite the reader to examine the problem and consider the viable, proven solution the water purification systems manufactured by Aqua Sun International has to offer.
Impact The World Health Organization reports that in some areas of the world, as much as 80% of all transmittable diseases are spread by consumption of contaminated drinking water. A staggering figure that is directly, or indirectly, the largest single human mortality factor. Nor is this situation isolated to one geographic area. It has been estimated that one quarter of the earths population, that is more than a billion-and-a-half people, still do not have enough clean, safe drinking water for their daily needs. This shortage of clean drinking water has an additional impact upon the lives of many peoples. In many lands, much of each and every day is spent traveling to a uncontaminated water source, and returning heavily laden with what is needed for just that day, or perhaps boiling water in large quantity for purifying. Some reports state that as much as four hours a day is expended on this task. The time expended in this necessary task often comes at the expense of working the land to grow the food that is also necessary to survive. Thus the greatest impact of this problem falls on the people who have the least resources to improve the situation. Imagine the beneficial result on any region of the globe, where food shortage is chronic, if the time was no longer spent seeking the fundamental necessity of safe drinkable water and was redirected to raising crops, tending animals, the family unit, or simply conducting their daily affairs. How much better their quality of life would become. Do not be misled, shortage of pure water is not a problem limited to the so-called, Third World. Many water sources in both Europe and North America contain unsafe levels of more than one category of contaminant. Add to this the situation of the traveler, soldier, missionary or humanitarian aid worker in foreign lands that often experiences distress, and even long term health damaging consequences by consuming the contaminated local water. As you can see the problem is of global proportions.
Waterborne Contaminates Along with two relatively easy to solve contamination problems like Sediment, and Organic Matter, which impact the look, taste and odor of water, but rarely cause a health risk, there are a number of other common contaminants which pose a significant risk to health and human life itself. These contaminants require a Carbon Filtration and Ultraviolet Light Process for effective water treatment. Biological Pathogens: Waterborne organisms that cause disease. These include cysts, like Giardia Lamblia and Cryptosporidium, Bacteria like Typhus, Typhoid, Fecal Coliform, E-Coli and Cholera as well as viruses such as Hepatitis and Rhinovirus. These organisms can cause health problems ranging from the common cold and minor illnesses to unpleasant gastrointestinal disorders even serious long-term health problems and death. Virus: A submicroscopic infective agent smaller than a common bacterium. Requires living cells for multiplication. Urine and Feces: Though considered to be easily degradable. Water contaminated by both animal and human waste is the most frequent cause of transmitting bacterium and parasites into the human body. VOCs: Volatile Organic Compounds, The most widespread water contamination problem is from chemicals created by industry. Such as petroleum distillates, benzene, and industrial degreasing compounds like trichloroethylene, carbon tetrachloride, xylene and methylethelketone. High concentrations or prolonged exposure to these VOCs are linked to liver, kidney, lung and nervous system damage and some are proven carcinogens or cancer causing agents. Pesticides and Herbicides: Chemicals used to kill insects and rodents. The use of pesticides and herbicides in farming regions for decades have leached the deadly chemicals into the ground water supplies and can be found even in deep water aquifers. This is a probable cause of cancer and anemia leukemia, and the chemical residue affects the nervous and respiratory system along with the liver and lungs. Toxic Heavy Metals: Among the greatest threats to health are the presence's of toxic metals in drinking water. This residue usually comes from industrial waste, metals like lead, mercury, zinc, cadmium, copper and high concentrations or prolonged exposure have been proven to cause a number of types of irreversible physiological damage, including damage to the central nervous system. For centuries water has been boiled to render it free of Biological Pathogens. Yet this technique is only a half measure as it still leaves most of the chemical contaminants intact. Chemical disinfectants, like chlorine and iodine, have the same limitation. Some of these chemical disinfectants are now suspected to be cancer-causing carcinogens. Distilled Water is safe, but time and resource consuming to produce. Many peoples lack both the time and resources to distill drinking water to render it safe to drink. Additionally, the distillation process is a low yield affair and also removes the beneficial minerals from water.
Does A Technologic Solution Exist? To be truly effective, a water purification system would have to have met certain criteria. The ideal system would be:
These criteria are both mandatory and reasonable. The above listed criteria, at first glance, seem simple to meet, but have proven to put safe drinking water beyond the reach of a quarter of the human race. Having now discussed the problem, its scale, impact and cause, and we have also defined the requirements for a water purification system that will meet people's needs effectively most anywhere in the world. We can now talk about Aqua Sun Internationals solution to the problem of not enough clean and safe drinking water to meet the needs of human consumption. The Solution Recent advances in technology have allowed the development of the first practical, self-contained, independent, portable device to purify water. Developed and Patented by Aqua Sun International in the United States, there are now available in a number of different sizes and styles of solar powered water purification systems that can remove both the biological and chemical contaminants found in most water supplies any where in the world. Aqua Suns water filtration and disinfecting systems offer the following features:
Solar Powered Allows Flexibility and Mobility Solar and battery power is the key to using these systems anywhere. One of the commonly found limitations in the use of other water purification systems is the absence of a reliable main power source. For many types of existing water purification systems - no electrical power - often means - no water purification. Because Aqua Sun Internationals systems can harness the inexhaustible power of the sun, these systems may be utilized to make pure, uncontaminated drinking water almost anywhere on earth. In situations where mobility is required, the ability to use solar energy allows much greater freedom of movement, no longer dependent upon electrical supplies from fixed locations. One solar panel, placed in the sunlight, will generate all of the electrical power required for a small-scale water purification system. Aqua Sun offers both small and large capacity, solar powered water purification units in portable, self contained, briefcase sized systems to trailer mount water stations. These portable units feature the same purification and disinfection efficiency and general features as of all of the Aqua Sun systems do, and they also feature ruggedized cases to protect the system components from rough handling over even rougher terrain. Aqua Sun International manufactures water purification systems that will operate from 12 volt electrical power sources and are ideal for being installed in vehicles, trailers, boats or aircraft. Aqua Sun International also offers a variety of water purification systems that operate off the existing electrical service at 110 / 220 volt, 50 or 60 Hz when available, or most any other main electrical power source thus allowing the same basic water purification and disinfection capabilities. System Efficiency Aqua Suns water purification systems use a three-step process for purifying water. Water may be taken from most any fresh water source such as, rivers, lakes, rain runoff or wells; (these units do not desalinate seawater). The first step is to run the water through a sediment pre-filtration system. This removes the sediment and the bulk of organic contaminants. The water is then passed through the Carbon Block Polishing Filter, which will remove the fine sediment, Giardia Lamblia, Cyst, Cryptosporidium, Pesticides certain VOCs, THMs, Bad Tastes and Odors, Color and Smell, Chlorine and Chlorine By-Products, Heavy Metals and many other harmful chemical contaminants down to 0.5 microns in size. Though a number of commercially available water purification systems use carbon filtering to remove these contaminants, filtering alone will not remove the majority of bacterial, cystic and viral contaminates leaving the water still contaminated with microorganisms. To exterminate these bacterial, cystic and viral contaminates, the Aqua Sun system uses a third means of purification. A High Intensity Ultraviolet Disinfection System that, in testing, has been demonstrated to disinfect water up to 99.999999% of most cystic, bacterial and viral microorganism contaminants. This includes Typhoid Fever, Dysentery, Cholera, Infectious Jaundice, Hepatitis, Influenza Virus, Enteric Fever, E-coli, Diphtheria, and many other unwanted microorganisms. It should be pointed out that the testing labs are not capable of measuring water samples and certifying the results any more accurately than 99.999999%! The Ultraviolet light disinfects the water without adding any chemical additives, nor does it create any new chemical complexes or remove the beneficial minerals. Having illustrated the effectiveness of Aqua Suns systems, perhaps you are now wondering about other features and capabilities these systems would require to be effective in the field. Scaled Output Capacity Aqua Sun Internationals systems are produced with scaled sizes. Ranging from a small brief case sized unit for individual use to larger units capable of purifying water for a village or small town. The briefcase design offers a maximum output capacity of 3.7 liters / 1 gallon per minute with a maximum daily output of 370 liters (100 gallons) of purified and disinfected water per day. The larger units have output capacities in excess of 37,000 liters (10,000 gallons) per day or more and are capable of producing a volume of 55 liters / 15 gallons per minute. These larger systems are capable of supplying small villages and towns with clean, filtered, and disinfected drinking water in solar ground mount systems or movable, trailer mount solar powered water purification stations. An Aqua Sun International System Is Easy to Use Using an Aqua Sun water purification and disinfection system is very easy, requiring only minimal, one time, instruction. Generally speaking, using an Aqua Sun system is a five-step process and most units are operational in less than one minute. 1. Set up solar panels in the sunlight and allow them to begin to function. 2. Connect the systems in-let and out-let water hose connections. 3. Place the intake hose into water source or container and the output hose into clean container. 4. Switch "On". 5. When water purification is complete, clean & repack system for the next use. Conclusion The conclusion is really as simple as the original problem was complex. Technology exists, and is available to be deployed today, any where in the world, that will make unsafe drinking water a thing of the past. That solution is available from only one source, one technology driven company called Aqua Sun International. Aqua Sun International manufactures a wide range of solar and 12 -volt water purification systems for use throughout the world. With Aqua Sun Internationals market leadership in producing the water purification systems with the highest of efficiencies, and their 25 years expertise in harnessing solar technology, they are uniquely suited to assist in developing solar water purification and solar electrical power system programs and products on both large and small scales. When looking for direction in Solar Water Purification and Solar Energy, look to the industry leader Aqua Sun International. Aqua Sun International Solar Powered Systems since 1973 Portable & Stationary Solar Powered Water Purification Systems for Remote Applications Providing Cleaner and Safer Drinking Water to Third World Countries and Developing Nations where water purification and electrical power are impracticable or unattainable
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