The history of water filters to date

As we all know, water is the only factor that cleanses the human body from useless substances, which means that its quality plays a very big role for humans.

How it all started
Humans' attempt to improve water quality through the use of filters is intertwined with their evolution. The first recorded attempts at water filtration date back to 2,000 BC. The main reason for filtering the water was to improve its taste because, as they believed, the water had to be tasteless, odorless and colorless.

The father of medicine, Hippocrates, conducted several experiments on water purification. The water of the aqueducts at that time was far from the desired degree of purity that he would have liked. So he designed a membrane of cloth, through which passed boiled water.

Centuries later, an invention would significantly influence the evolution of filters - the microscope. The Italian Antonio Porzio was the first to design a multiple filter in 1685 that included sedimentation and sand filtration. In 1746, Parisian scientist Joseph Amy was the first to make filters for home use, using a sponge, charcoal and wool.

The first real move to treat the water of a city occurred in mid-18th century London, using sand filters. In Paisley, Scotland, in 1804, an installation that supplied filtered water from town to town through pipes was completed. The material used for the filters was coal and sand which had to be replaced with new ones every six hours. The pumps, of course, were driven by horses.

At the end of the 19th century, the "revolution" of filtered water began, since people began to use electricity, so water filters began to evolve. Then they started using fast sand filters, improved slow sand filters, as well as chlorine and ozone to disinfect water.

At the beginning of the 20th century, cases of dysentery, typhoid and cholera declined sharply thanks to the now popular chlorination as a method of disinfecting city water.

The most popular water filtration method is with activated carbon filters. But how do they work? Due to intramolecular attraction, absorption takes place between the surface of the carbon and the absorbed substance. There are many types of activated carbon on the market used for filtration and water treatment. Wood, lignite, coal and coconut are the most common materials used to produce activated carbon. The coconut shell is still the best quality carbon. Also, the more compact the filter, the narrower the filtering is.
The most important contaminants that activated carbon can reduce are: chlorine, M.T.B.E. (Methyl-tertiary-Butyl-Ether from oxygenated car fuels), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), ie chemicals, pesticides, cysts and disinfection by-products. It can also reduce lead and it significantly improves the taste and smell of water.

An important technology that has been established on a global scale for years and even the US Environmental Protection Agency recognizes as the most effective method for the protection of drinking water is the method of reverse osmosis.

This method uses a semi-permeable membrane to filter out infectious agents. Water is forced to pass through a semipermeable membrane, something like nylon. Only molecules of pure water pass through the membrane, while a percentage of water and all impurities can not pass and are then discharged into the sewer. Primato Hellas has many years of experience with water filters and has excellent know-how and knowledge around the subject of water treatment. Contact us for anything you need. Find out about the most suitable water filters for Athens here.