Are UV Water Filters Really Effective? Find Out the Truth

By the time you finish reading this article, you will know what all contaminants are present in tap water, how do UV water filters fare in removing them, and what your other options are. So let's get started.

Broadly, the main types of contaminants found in the tap water you get in your home are -

- Chemicals. This includes those deliberately added into the water, like chlorine and fluoride, and those added though industrial waste.

- Heavy metals like lead and asbestos.

- Organic impurities like dead leaves, animal feces, tree bark etc.

- Micro organisms such as bacteria, cysts, viruses etc.

- Dirt and sediment.

Now, the USP of UV water filters is the ultraviolet lamp present inside them. The rays from this lamp can pierce through the microbes present in water and deactivate their DNA, effectively rendering them harmless and preventing their further growth in the water. This is a very effective way of destroying the germs in water and making it safe to use.

This also has the added advantage of eliminating the need of adding harmful chemicals like chlorine into water, which are actually harmful for your body cells too. Prolonged exposure to chlorine has been found to increase the risk of rectal and bladder cancer, so ultraviolet water filters protect you from these potential risks.

However, there are a few downsides to these filters too.

As we have seen, they can easily remove the germs in the water, which is just one out of the five categories of pollutants we have seen. But they do not do anything for the rest of the contaminant types.

So an additional carbon filter unit is usually added into them, which makes them capable of handling dirt, sediment and big organic matter. But they still cannot remove the dangerous chemicals like fertilizer and pesticide traces and the prescription drugs that can also be found in tap water.

These chemicals are very dangerous, and if UV water filters cannot remove them then there is not much sense in paying the premium price they command.

It's much better to opt for a multi stage filter using multiple technologies of filtration like Ion Exchange, Carbon Filtration and Sub Micron Filtration, which can together remove all the five types of contaminants we have talked about.

In conclusion, think beyond UV water filters and look for a complete solution for your water needs. This one step can save you from a lot of health problems later.

Daniel Woods is a dedicated advocate and researcher of the benefits of safe, clean, healthy filtered water. If you want to know how to choose a water purifier, visit - http://www.waterpurifierhome.com and learn about the products our editors personally use and recommend.