Activated carbon

Activated carbon, also known as medical carbon, is porous, fine-grained carbon with a large internal surface area. It is used as an adsorbent in applications including chemistry, medicine, water and wastewater treatment, and ventilation and air conditioning. It is available in granulated or pressed tablet form (carbon tablets). Activated carbon also serves as a support material for catalysts in heterogeneous catalysis.

Wastewater

Water contaminated by use or runoff from paved surfaces that is collected and drained away.

We distinguish four types of wastewater according to their origin: stormwater (NSW) or rainwater (RW), wastewater (SW), infiltration water (FM), and mixed water (MW).

There are 4 drainage systems: stormwater or rainwater sewer (KR), wastewater sewer (KS), combined sewer (KM), and pressure and vacuum systems.

States of matter of water

Liquid – Liquid

In nature, oxygen (O2) and hydrogen (H2) only occur as gases. When oxygen bonds with hydrogen, a liquid water phase is unexpectedly formed, generating energy. The volume is the same, but the shape is inconsistent and adapts to the surrounding space.

Water anomalies

Water behaves differently than scientists expected based on its atomic composition; it behaves abnormally, extremely adaptably, which is considered the most important prerequisite for intelligence.

Biofilm

Biofilms are microorganisms and other particulate matter, such as dust, that adhere to surfaces (interfaces). There, they form a slime matrix of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in which the cells are immobilized.

The conditions for the formation of biofilms are present almost everywhere:

Biofouling

If biofilms form within technical systems that have a disruptive effect on the operation or the product produced, this is referred to as biofouling.

The problems caused by biofouling are very diverse. Biofilms can accelerate or cause corrosion of the overgrown materials, increase pressure loss in pipelines and membrane systems, and significantly decrease heat transfer in heat exchangers. Furthermore, broken-off biofilms can contaminate products or disrupt other processes. In ultrapure water and drinking water systems, however, the presence of even a few microorganisms can pose a hygiene problem.

Lead

Lead (Latin: plumbum) is a chemical element with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a bluish-gray, highly ductile heavy metal. Lead was used as a plumbing material in Germany until around 1970; this is less true in southern Germany, where lead pipes have generally not been used for over 100 years. The reduction of the lead limit from 40 to 10 µg/l is stipulated with the following transition periods: The limit of 40 µg/l was to apply until December 1, 2003. From this date until December 1, 2013, the limit will be reduced to 25 µg/l. As of December 1, 2013, the limit is 10 µg/l.

When the body is exposed to low doses of the heavy metal, chronic effects can play a role. These are concentrated on the nervous and hematopoietic systems and the kidneys.

Chlorine (Cl-)

Chlorine is primarily known as a disinfectant in swimming pools. Depending on the state, chlorine is also added to our tap water. Chlorine, together with sodium, forms our table salt. Since usable drinking water has to be transported from ever-increasing distances, contamination of pipes is an additional problem that is being addressed with various cleaning agents. The added chlorine often forms new compounds with other substances, such as trichloromethane, which is suspected of causing colon and bladder cancer. It should be remembered that after the introduction of chlorine (around 1921), there was a sharp increase in leg problems, which in the USA, for example, reached 500%.

distillation

Distillation is the partial evaporation of a homogeneous liquid mixture followed by condensation of the vapor. It is the most important separation and purification process in chemistry. During distillation, the water is sterilized and demineralized, the surface tension is reduced, and the redox potential is increased. Almost all water constituents are eliminated, including dissolved salts such as lime. Only highly volatile substances such as alcohol enter the distillate.

Electrical conductivity

Today, the mineralization of drinking water, i.e. the amount of the various total minerals in the water or so-called dry matter, is predominantly and simply measured by determining the electrical conductivity, in microSiemens.

Electrical conductivity (µS/cm or microsiemens) describes the total dissolved solids in the water (TDS or total particle content in ppm). These include alkali and alkaline earth metals, ions, chloride, sulfate, bicarbonate, etc.

The more mineralized a water is, the higher its electrical conductivity (higher µS/cm value) and the lower its electrical resistance (ohm values).

Examples:

Seawater - 42,000 to 55,000 µS/cm,

Mineral water - 50 to 8,000 µS/cm,

Tap water - 300 to 1100 µS/cm.

Luxury drinks

Leisure drinks are liquids with completely different biological, physical and chemical properties than those of water.

Various beverages containing sugar substitutes, without any significant calories, can trick the pancreas and liver into thinking there is an excess of glucose in the blood through their sweet taste on the tongue. Insulin is released, the liver stores glucose, and blood sugar levels drop. The result is a feeling of hunger, and the "craving" leads to more calories – and obesity is inevitable. These drinks are stimulating and dehydrating. These beverages are liquids with completely different biological, physical, and chemical properties than those of water.

Various beverages containing sugar substitutes, without any significant calories, can trick the pancreas and liver into thinking there's an excess of glucose in the bloodstream through their sweet taste on the tongue. Insulin is released, the liver stores glucose, and blood sugar levels drop. The result is a feeling of hunger, and the "craving" leads to more calories – and obesity is inevitable. These drinks are stimulating and dehydrating.

Healing water

Unlike mineral water, spring water, and table water, medicinal water is not a food product, but a medicinal product. It is subject to the German Medicines Act and is treated as a medicinal product. It is bottled directly at the source. Depending on its source, it has passed through different rock layers and is therefore used to treat various ailments and illnesses. The healing, preventative, and soothing properties of the water must be officially certified.

Potassium (K+)

Potassium is extremely important for cellular water regulation. Potassium regulates osmotic pressure, preventing dehydration. Top athletes therefore eat plenty of potassium-rich fruits (e.g., bananas). Potassium is also responsible for the transmission of nerve signals and muscle contractions. A deficiency manifests itself in muscle weakness, constipation, and/or chronic fatigue. You can normally achieve the recommended daily intake of 3,000 to 4,000 mg through your daily diet.

According to the Drinking Water Ordinance, the limit value for potassium is 12 mg/l.

lime

Lime (calcium carbonate), also known as calcium carbonate, is a chemical compound with the chemical formula CaCO3. Water hardness is a collective term for the amount of the minerals calcium and magnesium in the water. If drinking water contains a lot of calcium and magnesium, it is called hard water. If it contains a little, it is called soft water.

Hardness is a natural component of water. It is a property of water and arises from its solvency: Precipitation collecting in groundwater absorbs numerous minerals from the various layers as it travels through the soil. Limescale, or boiler scale, forms in significant quantities whenever water is heated above 60°C. Limescale occurs in water as calcium bicarbonate. Heating in general, and especially above 50–60°C, reduces the carbon dioxide content in the water, and the calcium bicarbonate forms "hard" calcium carbonate.

Finally, the measurable water hardness is formed and calculated from the sum of the concentrations of calcium and magnesium carbonates.

1 °dH (1 degree German hardness) is a unit of measurement for water hardness. If 100 liters of water contains one gram of calcium oxide (CaO), that corresponds to 1 °dH.

Jug filter

Pitcher filters are designed to improve the taste and odor of water. These systems consist of an ion exchanger for decarbonization (limited capacity) and a small amount of silver-coated activated carbon. The ion exchangers exchange calcium and magnesium ions, for example, for hydrogen or other non-hardness-forming ions. This softens the water and, for example, no longer forms a surface film in black tea. This alters the pH of the filtrate, which no longer complies with the German Drinking Water Ordinance (TrinkwV) 2001.

Carbon dioxide

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is produced as a breakdown product during the oxidative respiration of nutrients in cells and is exhaled through the lungs. CO2 is acidic. Carbon dioxide is a colorless gas with a slightly acidic odor and taste. This gas is produced in particularly large quantities during the combustion of energy-rich substances (wood, coal, gasoline, diesel, natural gas, etc.).

CO2 causes difficulty concentrating, fatigue, nausea, and headaches. All of these symptoms can be observed in crowded, poorly ventilated spaces where there is a lack of O2, especially O2 ions, and an increased concentration of CO2 in exhaled air.

A high CO2 content in water has a disinfectant effect, so bottled water began to be enriched with it in the 1950s. The pearl effect was therefore not a goal but a side effect.

From a physiological perspective, CO2-enriched water is less suitable for drinking. No animal in the world would drink CO2-enriched water!

Colloidal water

However, the vital powers of good water do not only come from its purity, but above all from its internal structure: H2O molecules always form networks of different sizes, so-called “water clusters”.

To put it simply: the smaller the clusters, the more mobile the water is and the more energy it can release.

The colloidation process uses intense, rhythmic, counter-rotating swirling to transform the inert clusters into very small, highly active, and energy-releasing structures. At the same time, so-called colloids form from existing minerals, and the water-mineral mixture transforms into a biologically valuable "colloidal solution." Water treated in this way acquires an effective and stable vitality—a quality found naturally only in deep spring waters.

Medications

Tons of pharmaceuticals enter the environment every year – where they are barely broken down. Harm to animals has already been proven. These include X-ray contrast media, psychotropic drugs, beta-blockers, antibiotics, antiepileptics, painkillers – either the substances themselves or their metabolites, etc. The body excretes some of these active ingredients, for example through urine in wastewater. And some of them pass through sewage treatment plants just as unhindered as they did through the organism. Around 3,000 active ingredients are approved in the EU. In Germany, the situation is not as dramatic. However: "Currently, the available knowledge is insufficient to make an overall assessment of the potential risks posed by pharmaceuticals in wastewater," the German government replied to a parliamentary inquiry at the end of May 2007.

micrometer

The unit micrometer (µm) corresponds to one-thousandth of a millimeter. 200 µm corresponds to the size of the punctuation mark "period" in a standard newspaper. A typical domestic inlet filter has a mechanically acting filter element with a particle size of >80 µm. The sintered activated carbon block filter NFP Premium has an absolute filter fineness of 0.45 µm.

Mechanical filtration works against particles from the pipe network such as sand and rust as well as microorganisms (bacteria, parasites, single-celled organisms, certain viruses).

mineral water

Natural mineral water has a long journey before it ends up in the bottle. Precipitation from rain, snow, or hail is mineral water in its most pristine form. It penetrates the ground and seeps down to several hundred meters deep. It is thus enriched with minerals and trace elements. This water does not rise to the surface on its own, but is artificially pumped up. Mineral water must be of "original purity." This water usually emerges from the ground naturally carbonated. However, it may be further carbonated. This water is subject to the Mineral Water Ordinance.

Surface tension

The molecules lying on the liquid's surface possess a certain amount of potential energy, called surface energy. The force that holds the water molecules together is called surface tension. Surface tension forms water droplets, water currents, waves, and so on. It allows insects, which are heavier than water, to move across the intact water surface.

Examples:

Breast milk – 42 dyn/cm, olive oil – 32 dyn/cm, amniotic fluid – 58 dyn/cm, Volvic water – 64 dyn/cm, puddle in nature – 66 dyn/cm, levitated water – 71 dyn/cm, tap water – 71 dyn/cm, mercury – 500 dyn/cm.

At body temperature > 37 °C the surface tension of water is < 70 dyn/cm.

The higher the temperature of the water, the lower the surface tension, the higher the wetting ability, dissolving power and cleaning power of the water.

Surface water

Surface water refers to water that is open and unbound on the Earth's surface. This includes bodies of water such as rivers, streams, or lakes, as well as precipitation that has not yet seeped into the ground.

Surface water is usually contaminated by suspended solids or dissolved pollutants and is therefore unsuitable for human consumption. Only after water treatment can it be used as drinking water.

Today there are only a few truly pure waters in the chemical, biological and physical sense, mostly only in remote areas or in the high mountains.

oxidation

Oxidation refers to the combination with oxygen (O2) or the removal of hydrogen (H). In this process, an element, substance, or biological system (microorganism, cell) releases its electrons (negatively charged particles in the electron shell).

Many oxidations occur slowly and without noticeable phenomena at the corresponding ambient temperature. Examples include corrosion of metals, the respiration and metabolism of living organisms, decomposition processes, the rusting of iron, etc.

Oxidizing agents include oxygen, ozone, chlorine and UV rays.

Hydrogen (H2) is reducing, electron donating.

Oxygen (O2) is oxidizing, electron-accepting.

ozone

Ozone can be smelled as a pungent gas in very small quantities. Ozone is a compound of three oxygen atoms (O=O=O). It rapidly decomposes into molecular, biologically inert oxygen and an excited, aggressive oxygen atom. Because ozone exhibits strong oxidizing properties upon decomposition, it is toxic to humans above a certain concentration. However, ozone is very useful in the upper atmosphere (15 km to 50 km altitude), because there the ozone layer acts like a protective shield, protecting the earth and its living organisms from excessive exposure to the sun's high-energy UV rays. While ozone is harmful to humans, its reactivity makes it a popular disinfectant in water treatment. Ozonation is therefore part of the chemical-free treatment of drinking water and wastewater. Activated carbon is used to reduce the residual ozone concentration after water sterilization to below the limit harmful to humans.

Pesticides

Pesticides are classified according to the organisms they are intended to combat: insecticides (insects), acaricides (mites), molluscicides (snails), rodenticides (rodents), herbicides (weeds), and fungicides (fungi). Chemicals that are intended to repel pests through their scent are called repellents. The chemical principles of action of all these pesticides are designed to ensure their application is as targeted as possible. This means that they are compatible with the plant being protected, but destructive to competing weeds or pests. These chemicals can penetrate deeper soil regions with precipitation and eventually reach the groundwater. This obviously poses a threat to drinking water sources.

PH value

The pH value is a measure of the hydrogen ion concentration (hydrogen ion activity) in a solution. The pH value indicates whether something is acidic, neutral, or basic. The more acidic a solution is, the more hydrogen protons (H+) it contains, and vice versa. Water plays a crucial role in the body's acid-base balance.

• pH < 7 corresponds to a solution with acidic effect

• pH = 7 corresponds to a neutral solution

• pH > 7 corresponds to an alkaline solution (basic effect)

Examples:

pH alkaline (basic) > 7.0

• Blood art. and ven............7.41

• Saliva (children) ...........7.31

• Tap drinking water ........7.0 – 8.5

• Vodka ..........................8.0

pH neutral 7.0

• Breast milk..........7.01

• Enzymes...............7.0

pH acidic (acidotic) < 7.0

• Milk........................6.4

• Black coffee...........5.1

• Iced tea......................3.8

• Diet Coke..................2.0

• Gastric juice men.....1.92

spring water

Real spring water is definitely something special. It's mature, ancient water that, after centuries of aging, rises to the surface from great depths, naturally, without the need for pumps. This water originates underground. Spring water is bottled directly at the source. Spring water is clean and rich in energy, allowing it to retain the special properties of living water.

Spring water is usually of very good quality and is ideal for drinking. Springs are particularly valuable when they are abundant, have good water quality, and a largely constant flow.

Redox potential

Redox potential is an indicator for determining the biological self-purification capacity of water bodies. The redox potential (voltage) is determined by electron activity. More specifically, redox potential is a measure of how easily a substance absorbs or releases electrons. Redox potentials depend on pH.

Examples:

Amniotic fluid -69 millivolts, breast milk -33 millivolts, beer +300 millivolts, green tea +420 millivolts, tap water +500 to +800 millivolts. The lower the plus millivolt values ​​and the higher the minus millivolt values, the lower the surface tension of liquids, and the more biologically favorable the effects.

reduction

Reduction (antioxidation) is a process in which oxygen is removed from a substance and hydrogen (hydrogenation) and electrons are added. In a broader sense, reduction reverses oxidation.

Reduction can never occur without simultaneous oxidation.

Reducing agents (so-called antioxidants) include vitamin A, vitamin C and E, enzyme SOD, catalase, etc.

oxygen

Oxygen (O) is a chemical element. Oxygen is the 8th element in the periodic table and is located in period 2. Oxygen has the symbol O. Oxygen is highly reactive because the oxygen atom, with its 6 outer electrons, is only missing 2 more to reach a stable state. It acquires these 2 missing electrons from wherever it can get them, for example, from iron or other metals.

It is a colorless, odorless gas. Its concentration in air is 21%. Oxygen is the most abundant element on Earth. It is necessary for all combustion and corrosion processes. All living things need oxygen to survive. In high concentrations, however, it is toxic to most living organisms.

Oxygen water

Oxygenated water is drinking water that has been enriched with oxygen. The availability of oxygen is one of the most important prerequisites for the life of humans and animals. Only with the help of oxygen is it possible for cells to sustainably produce the large amounts of energy necessary for life. Consequently, a lack of oxygen leads to a lack of energy in the cells. The typical consequences are increasing fatigue, lack of concentration, decreased performance, and inner restlessness.
The positive properties of oxygen water have now been proven in various studies.

Most of the oxygen humans need is absorbed through respiration and thus through the lungs. The oxygen physically dissolved in oxygenated water, however, enters the body through the mucous membranes of the digestive system and is thus available as an additional source of oxygen. This is beneficial, because oxygen is as essential to metabolism as air is to the burning of a flame.

Oxygen water...
• Increases performance and responsiveness.
• Accelerates recovery after training or competition.
• Reduces midday fatigue, saves calories, increases concentration and
• strengthens memory increases physical resistance increases general well-being increases quality of life.
• An important research result shows that oxygen water can only develop its full effect if it is drunk regularly for at least three weeks.
• A minimum daily amount of one to two liters is recommended.