We, inhabitants of developed countries, are very lucky: our tap water is made drinkable by municipal / national commitment.
And you know what? This works quite well, not at all like in developing countries where access to clean water is more of an exception than a general rule.
In hot countries (which is about all of the third world), such as those in Africa, there is a huge problem of bacterial pollution, which causes dysentery and repeated deaths. Thus, despite our best efforts, approximately 1.2 million people die from water-related diseases.
It is quite possible that these figures will rise again because chemical pollution is added more and more violently to bacterial pollution: endocrine disruptors, textile dye residues, pesticides, drugs, micro plastics, the list is long.
For this purpose, chlorine is generally used to prevent bacteria from proliferating in drinking water, but UV-C radiation can also be used (not to be confused with LaVie’s UV-A radiation, UV-C is lethal to humans, and does not reach the earth because it is blocked by the ozone layer, thanks to it!
This UV-C radiation is absorbed by the bacterial DNA, which causes it to mutate, making bacterial reproduction impossible (we speak of bacterial division because it cuts itself in two to multiply).
Thus, with little power, we can “sterilize” a water of its bacteria, they will not die, but will not be able to multiply any more in your stomach, and you will thus not fall sick. The same result can be achieved by boiling the water for a few minutes. It is simpler, but consumes more energy.
On the other hand, UV-C sterilization, like boiling, is not purification, contrary to what some UV-C sterilizer vendors claim: it does not change the chlorine level, the taste, the odors, the chemical compounds present in the water.
A simple carafe filter will do much better for less money.
So don’t be fooled by attractive designs, or pretty sirens of false promises: it is absolutely useless in France to acquire this kind of products.
Why would you want to kill bacteria that don’t exist?
The only use of these UV-C bottles (polluting because they are equipped with a non-interchangeable lithium battery that will last two-three years at most…) is for hiking, if you only have lake or river water at your disposal.
If I were you, however, I would look twice before drinking these waters, because as explained above, you will only remove the bacteria, so be prepared to drink chemical pollutants such as glyphosate, or why not lead, arsenic etc…
In our LaVie process, for example, we use 50 times the amount of energy of commercially available UV-C bottles to break down chlorine molecules.
A true purifier must be able to reduce chlorine and its by-products, chemicals, pesticides, traces of drugs, endocrine disruptors, etc.
For these UV-C bottles, you will only find evidence of bacterial abatement on their manufacturer’s website, and for good reason…
Concerning developing countries, we have an action through our solar product, LaVie SUN, ported on the website www.lavie.foundation, and we intend to make an impact, very soon.
I hope that now you will make choices according to your needs, with complete clarity, and never again confuse UVA purification with UVC “flash”.
The only UV-A water purifiers: LaVie
LaVie® UV-A water purifiers operate without filters or maintenance and allow you to purify your tap water in 15 minutes.
They use an innovative, patented technology exclusive to LaVie®: the photolysis of chlorine by UV-A radiation.
This treatment allows the removal of chlorine and its by-products, chemical compounds such as certain pesticides or traces of medication, tastes and odors that can be found in tap water.
The result, very qualitative, allows to draw a definitive line on the consumption of plastic bottled water.
The carbon footprint associated with the manufacture of the UV water purifier’s aluminum tube is neutralized in a few days of use compared to the equivalent consumption of water in plastic bottles.
To your health!
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