KNOW YOUR WATER
There are many myths and false information about water. How do you know if the water you drink is safe? Are you getting all the nutrients you need from it? What are TDS & pH? Its time to know your water better.
WHAT IS PURE & HEALTHY WATER?
Water is important to every cell, tissue, and organ in your body. The best way to stay hydrated: glug-glug-glug glasses of water throughout the day. Alkaline water is widely considered to be the healthiest and purest form naturally occurring water. To understand why, we need to understand what are TDS and pH
What are TDS & PH?
The “alkaline” in alkaline water refers to its pH level. The pH level is a number that measures how acidic or alkaline a substance is on a scale of 0 to 14. For example, something with a pH of 1 would be very acidic and something with a pH of 13 would be very alkaline.
What is the Ideal TDS Level of Drinking Water?
World Health Organization (WHO) report on TDS in drinking water points out that reliable data on possible health effects associated with TDS in drinking water is not available. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has set the acceptable limit of TDS in drinking water at 500 mg/L. However, the standard also mentions that in case no alternative source of drinking water is available, then this acceptable limit can be relaxed to 2,000 mg/L.
It is important to note that some of the dissolved minerals in water are useful for human health and therefore very low or zero TDS is also not recommended. Reducing the TDS level to a very low value also affects the pH level of the water, which BIS specifies should be in the range 6.5-8.5. Water with very low TDS will taste dull. There is no official lower limit, but TDS of at least 80 ppm is the accepted minimum level.
How do you measure TDS levels in water?
There used to be three methods of measuring TDS levels at Home. Let us inspect them in brief.
Using the EC Meter Method
The EC meter method which is also known as the Electrical Conductivity Meter Method. It is used to measure the electrical conductivity in a solution. It can be used for different purposes in research and engineering in common fields such as hydroponics, aquaponics, aquaculture and freshwater systems to monitor the amount of salts, nutrients or impurities in the water which is tested.
Using a weighing scale and a filter paper.
This technique of measuring TDS levels in water is conservative one. It is easy to perform at home. You have to use the weighing scale to weigh the empty dissolving dish. Make sure that the dish is fully cleaned, dried and free of any extraneous particulate matter.
Using a Digital TDS Meter
This is one of the easiest techniques used to determine the TDS levels in water. The most noteworthy benefit of this device is that you have to do calculations using mathematical formulas. The results are quick to achieve.
TDS – Acceptability Levels
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) chooses the acceptability levels of TDS in water. According to BIS, the TDS level of up to 500 mg/litre is acceptable. If the level is less than 50 than it is unacceptable as the water does not contain the required minerals for healthy growth. If the level is between 50-150 then it is fairly acceptable due to the involvement of industrial and other types of pollution. If it is between 150-250 then this level of TDS is usually the healthiest as far as cardiovascular health is involved. If it is between 250-350 there are places in India where the ground level water has TDS level is the same range. This is also usually acceptable. If it is between 350-500 this is the most acceptable as the BIS certified water with TDS levels up to 500 for human consumption. If the levels are between 500-1200 then it is not acceptable for human consumption. Although, you can purify this water using RO and other types of water purifiers Using these devices can result in the elimination of excess TDS thereby reducing the levels to below 500 and making it fit for human consumption. If the levels are above 1200 then the water is completely unfit for human consumption. Using a water filtration guarantees you the most acceptable level for drinking water at home.
A global perspective on alkaline water
A study shows that people who had machine alkaline water would have a high pH level of 9 and above in their urine. Normally the pH level of urine should be between 5 or 6. The problem with having a high pH level in your urine is that you don’t have any protection against microbes as this ph level allows them to multiply at a higher rate. One of the main purposes of having acidic urine (pH 5 or 6) is so that we can kill off more microbes. Alkaline water alters the chemistry in our body and certainly not in a good way. There are three fluids in the body that are normally acidic – the stomach which should be extremely acidic, the large bowel, and the urine. These fluids need to be acidic in order to help you break down protein, absorb minerals and to kill microbes. So when you consume Alkaline water which is unnatural to the body, it can neutralize the different acidic fluids in the body creating problems with digestion in the large bowel and even in urine. As microbes in the body multiply, it affects the absorption of electrolytes which is one of the key components needed to pump your heart.Clearly, in order to gain the most benefits of Alkaline water, it needs to be naturally retained with the right amount of minerals. This brings us to the TDS levels in Alkaline Water.
Water purification at the molecular level
Nanotechnology refers to the broad variety of tolls, techniques and applications that basically involve particles on the approximate size scale of a few to hundreds of nanometres in diameter. Particles of this size have some unique physicochemical and surface properties that lend themselves to novel uses. Indeed, inventors of nanotechnology suggest that this area of research could contribute to solutions for some of the major issues faced globally mainly the supply of safe drinking water for a rapidly increasing population worldwide as well as addressing issues in other fields such as medicine, energy and agriculture. Proving clean and affordable drinking water is one of the biggest challenges in our lifetime. Due to the rapid growth of population water scarcity can occur as well a widespread water contamination till we are left with nothing safe to drink. As scarcity becomes a greater issue around the globe, the water treatment field is expected to become worth more than approximately $38 billion by the year 2025. Within this field nanotechnology is breaking new ground and developing new ways of how water is filtered and purified. Nanotechnology has provided to be a ground-breaking result for water purification.
Blog
