FHi Edubloggers,

Today I will talk about the water filtering and the amazing LifeStraw!

Let’s say you are stranded in a swampy area. You’ve been trekking in the blistering sun and humid atmosphere for five hours and you are extremely dehydrated. Of course if you drink the swamp water  maladies such as malaria and diseases follow the temporary hydration. Unless there is a flowing spring, you need to filter the water.

You can do a old school method by straining water through a bandana, shirt, or coffee filters to remove visible debris. Let the water sit for at least a few minutes, so the remaining particles settle on the bottom, then pour into another container. If at all possible, boil this water to kill pathogens before drinking. The steps below will teach you to make a more effective filter, but unless you brought along your own charcoal, the process can take several hours.

Now to the product that will help many third world countries who struggle to get fresh water. The Life straw acts like a filter system layering membrane, filters, and chemicals. All LifeStraw products use a hollow fiber membrane.

“These membranes have microscopic pores that trap contaminants Bacteria and parasites are bigger than the pores in the filter. Water is able to pass through, but contaminants larger than 0.2 microns remain trapped.

Some LifeStraw products use a two-stage filtration process. In addition to the hollow fiber membrane, a carbon capsule absorbs chemicals like chlorine and pesticides.

More advanced carbon filters, like the LifeStraw Flex, also reduce heavy metals, like lead.”

Bye,

 

Chad