Purified water, by definition, is already quite pure; however, further purification aims to remove even trace contaminants or improve its quality for specific purposes. The question could refer to the process of further refining water that has already gone through purification steps, or to maintaining its purity after initial treatment.
Let's explore ways you could further purify purified water based on common water purification methods, using information from the provided reference that lists common water purification methods.
Ways to Further Purify Purified Water
While "purified water" should ideally be very clean, here are approaches you might use to achieve an even higher degree of purity or address specific potential contaminants, drawing from the reference's list of best ways to purify water:
1. Distillation
Distillation involves boiling the water and then collecting the condensed steam. This effectively removes nearly all minerals, salts, and many organic compounds.
- How it works: Water is heated until it becomes steam, leaving behind impurities. The steam is then cooled and collected as purified water.
- Why use it: Excellent at removing dissolved solids and many other contaminants; good for laboratory work requiring ultra-pure water.
2. Reverse Osmosis
Reverse osmosis forces water through a semi-permeable membrane under pressure. This membrane blocks contaminants while allowing pure water to pass.
- How it works: Pressure is used to push water across a membrane, which traps particles larger than water molecules.
- Why use it: Effective at removing a wide range of contaminants, including dissolved salts, minerals, and some bacteria and viruses.
3. Filtration
Filtration involves passing water through a physical barrier to trap impurities. This can range from simple filters to more complex multi-stage filters.
- How it works: Various filter media like sand, activated carbon, or ceramic block physically remove particles and some larger organic molecules.
- Why use it: Good at removing sediment, chlorine, and some organic pollutants.
4. UV Purification
Ultraviolet (UV) light can be used to disinfect water by damaging the DNA of microorganisms, making them unable to reproduce.
- How it works: Exposes water to UV light that damages microorganisms like bacteria and viruses.
- Why use it: Excellent for disinfection, though it does not remove sediment, chemicals or minerals.
5. Combining Methods
Often, a combination of methods is used to achieve optimal purity. For example, one might use filtration to remove particles, followed by reverse osmosis for dissolved solids, and then UV disinfection to eliminate any remaining microorganisms.
Considerations
- Purpose: The method you choose will depend on the intended use of the water. For critical applications like laboratory work, multiple steps may be necessary.
- Source: Even purified water can vary in purity. Consider the initial purification process.
- Storage: Even purified water can degrade over time. Store it properly.
- Cost: Distillation and reverse osmosis can be more expensive than other methods.
Summary of Purified Water Purification Methods (based on the reference)
| Method | How it works | What it removes |
|---|---|---|
| Distillation | Boiling water then condensing the steam | Minerals, salts, and many organic compounds |
| Reverse Osmosis | Forcing water through a semi-permeable membrane | Dissolved salts, minerals, some bacteria and viruses |
| Filtration | Passing water through a physical barrier to trap impurities | Sediment, chlorine, and some organic pollutants |
| UV Purification | Exposing water to ultraviolet light | Microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses |
In conclusion, although purified water is considered very clean, further purification steps, drawing from techniques like distillation, reverse osmosis, filtration, and UV purification (mentioned in our provided reference) can be applied to meet the stringent requirements of specialized applications or if you want to maintain the high purity of purified water after the initial treatment.
