Water Education - Water Quality

Natural Purification of Liquid Water on Earth Page 2

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Wetlands

Wetlands serve as ecological kidneys and can remove 20 to 60 percent of metals in water, trap and retain 80 to 90 percent of sediment from runoff, and eliminate 70 to 90 percent of the nitrogen in water. Riparian (streamside) forests also act as living filters that intercept sediments, absorb and store excess nutrients, and transform and remediate the effects of many water contaminants and pollutants carried in runoff from adjacent lands. Riparian areas can reduce the nitrogen concentration in storm water runoff by up to 90%, and can reduce phosphorus levels by as much as 50 percent.

soil

From this simple discussion of the nature's hydrological system you should be able to understand that our modern water filtration systems simply try to emulate the immaculate systems of purification in nature. It is also clear that our climate system, with its atmosphere, greenhouse gases, ocean, life, winds, and currents all interact to produce our climate. Everything is connected, and everything is influencing each other. For example, rain heats the atmosphere. The warm air rises, creating wind. Wind drives ocean currents. Currents help determine where phytoplankton live. Phytoplankton help determine where clouds are formed. Clouds influences where the atmosphere is heated. Heating determines where the ocean evaporates, and the amount of evaporation.

Indeed there are many processes that work naturally to ensure that water is purified by nature. Long before it is fingerprinted by the hands of humans, water has risen and fallen from all over the world; through clouds and crawling deep into the depths of the earth. Today however, groundwater is more contaminated than it used to be. We cannot just rely on nature to purify our water for us. We need filtration units to filter out pesticides, sewage, bacteria, and heavy metals. Unfiltered water can contain viruses that can make you ill. You may think that city water will make you free of bacteria and viruses. However, know that the way the City gets rid of the bacteria is by adding chlorine to the water. Drinking small amounts of chlorine cannot make you sick, but over time you do not want to find out what it can do to the body. Well water situations are more susceptible to bacteria and viruses because wells are not monitored. If you are in this position it is recommended to have your well water tested before figuring out what type of water filtration system is best for your home. Additionally, a total solution water filtration system would be considered because the well water contaminants could be unpredictable if not monitored regularly.

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