Is an Ultraviolet Water Purifier the Best for Outdoors?

Ultraviolet water purifiers have become hugely popular in recent times owing to the fact that they are effective in destroying potentially harmful microorganisms that are found in untreated drinking water. The principle behind the use of an ultraviolet water purifier is quite simple. The rays produced by the source which mimics the sun penetrate the membranes of these microorganisms and proceed to disfigure the DNA structure of the microorganisms immediately rendering them ineffective – they can’t harm drinker in this state. So efficient is this method of treatment that an ultraviolet water purifier is reputed to be 99.9% effective.

There is a catch when using an ultraviolet water purifier though

Despite the fine statistics that we have just quoted it has to be said that ultraviolet water purifiers are not effective against cysts. These are basically parasites which are in their early stages of development and thanks to their structure they are resistant to ultraviolet treatment. To effectively get rid of cysts the only options available are either boiling or filtering the treated water. In the case of filtering the mesh size used needs to be a micron or less. While such sub micron parasites may be quite rare one cannot afford to take health risks more so when the camping troupe consists of young children whose immune systems have not matured to a level where diseases can be wished off.

An ultraviolet water purifier cannot be relied upon to alter water taste

Unlike carbon-based filter systems which thoroughly absorb unwanted tastes and odors from water an ultraviolet water purifier cannot do the trick. It is a fact that water treated through chlorination bears byproducts known as THMs which add to the cancer risk in an individual. An ultraviolet water purifier used together with a suitable filtration system will now guarantee the water drinker of much more safety.

For outdoor purposes an ultraviolet water purifier is however a very good asset

An ultraviolet water purifier kit doesn’t cost too much depending on the model that one has in mind. With regard to power consumption such devices may use either solar power or batteries - a good assurance with the vagaries of weather in mind.