The History Of The
Refrigerator Water Filters
By: Ray Scardigno
The earliest recorded method of water
filtration dates back to 2000 B.C. where hieroglyphics depict methods of
boiling water, placing hot metal instruments in water and filtering water
through charcoal and sand. These early methods are thought to have been
instituted to make water taste better, thus, cleaning it. Water filtration
was further developed with the advent of the microscope, which made it
possible to see foreign particles and contaminants in water that would have
otherwise been considered to be pure and clean. Most notably, the microscope
was responsible to identify cholera bacteria in drinking water during a
disease outbreak in 19th century London. The outbreak was rampart in all
areas except those areas where drinking water was filtered through sand.
Chlorine was also discovered to be an effective, chemical disinfectant
capable to rid the infectious water of cholera. It was further discovered
that the chemical, chlorine, when used in combination with sand filtering,
was effective in combating cholera as well the water borne diseases, typhoid
and dysentery.
In an effort to achieve drinking water purity, chlorine disinfection and
sand filtering became prominent methods of municipal water treatment
throughout Europe, and then, the US. These primitive methods of disinfecting
and filtering water to achieve purity have been studied and evaluated with
the use of technology. Chlorine, despite its history of ridding water of
contaminants, is a poison. It has since been found to exhibit side effects
that aggravate and induce respiratory complications, such as asthma. The
poisonous chemical vaporizes at a faster rate than water, making it
dangerously harmful when inhaled, especially during showering. Fluoride has
since been added as an additional chemical disinfecting agent, but also has
side effects of dental damage and other health complications in young
children. Lead and other chemical contaminants and by-products further
compromise drinking water during the piping and delivery of treated water.
Business and industry have been instrumental in the disposal of waste
materials into our fresh water supply sources. This inhabitation has
directly contaminated the water supply and also upset the balance of water
flow and creation established by nature. The US Clean Water Act, legislated
in 1972, was intended to restore the physical, chemical and biological
balance of water that had been disturbed by contamination. The Act specified
that all natural water supplies would, at least, be safe for fishing and
swimming by 1985. This specification led to the development of some form of
water filtration and disinfection in every US city as well as advanced
technological innovations in the filtering of water used in industry. Even
so, the severity of past and continued damage has left more than 1/3 of all
water supplies still polluted with contaminants.
In an effort to reduce the contaminants in drinking water and also to comply
with national efforts to make drinking water safe, water-filtering systems
have been developed to filter water within individual homes. Systems exist
to filter incoming water for the entire house and also systems are designed
to filter water, inline, at various points of water distribution within the
house, such as at faucets and refrigerators or in water pitchers. The US
based company, Omnipure Filter Company, credits its self with developing the
first small, disposable, inline water filter in the world. The Omnipure CL
Series of water filters, developed in 1970, were carbon-based, inline
filtering systems designed for water coolers and ice machines. This
benchmark water filtering system used granular activated carbon (GAC) to
create cost effective methods of filtering water inline. Advances in the
functionality, using the same basic design, have since led to the
development of whole-house filters, faucet filters, countertop filters,
pitcher filters, refrigerator filters and portable filters for camping.
In 1996, KX Industries developed and supplied the first refrigerator water
filter for ice cube and cold water dispensing. KXI is credited with
developing the initial end of tap filter for the Proctor and Gamble/PUR and
the Clorox/Brita water filters. The new technology has been adopted and
revised to suit a number of refrigerator models, creating a $200 million
refrigerator water filter market.
Today, Filters Fast LLC, the leading online retailer of refrigerator water
filters, carries filters for every major brand of refrigerators that filter
out anything from Chlorine to Lead and pesticides. They recommend that your
filter be changed at least every 6 months to keep your water at it's best
quality.
About the Author:
Ray Scardigno writes about water filters, the water filtration industry, and
refrigerator water filters. For more information and articles on water
filters please visit
http://www.filtersfast.com
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