{"id":19041,"date":"2021-08-10T11:41:34","date_gmt":"2021-08-10T08:41:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zeolife.gr\/zeolite-a-superior-material-for-purifying-drinking-water\/"},"modified":"2021-08-10T11:41:34","modified_gmt":"2021-08-10T08:41:34","slug":"zeolite-a-superior-material-for-purifying-drinking-water","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zeolife.gr\/en\/zeolite-a-superior-material-for-purifying-drinking-water\/","title":{"rendered":"Zeolite \u2013 A superior material for purifying drinking water"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Technology is changing and constantly evolving to meet humanity\u2019s everyday needs. One of these needs is clean drinking water. The water treatment industry is researching, tests and develops new and improved methods for treating wastewater and drinking water that are both effective and environmentally friendly. Zeolite water filters can provide a sustainable, natural solution for the treatment of drinking water, effluent and wastewater.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Certain zeolites possess unique and exceptional physical and chemical properties. These characteristics make them very useful in a variety of applications, including agriculture, livestock farming, construction, various industrial processes, medicine and cosmetics. Recently, a more specific application of a natural zeolite, namely clinoptilolite, has been extensively studied in the context of water treatment and human health. Due to a range of positive health effects, including detoxifying properties, the use of clinoptilolite-based products has increased significantly in recent years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A historical overview<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For hundreds of years, people have used the resources provided by nature to improve their quality of life. Sometimes we use them in the form in which they are found in the environment, and at other times we discover new and innovative ways to apply them. For example, sand and charcoal are typical examples of this. These are already widely used in water treatment as filter media. Sand achieves this naturally anyway, by trapping various combinations of particles. Coal has mainly been regarded as a source of thermal energy in recent years. It is now used in a wide range of products for human health, from skincare to dietary supplements. It has also been shown to be an effective filtering material for water contaminated with toxins and other pollutants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is zeolite?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When volcanic rock or ash comes into contact with alkaline water, it reacts and can form zeolite. The word \u2018zeolite\u2019 has been widely used to describe different types of zeolites, tuffs and clays. In water treatment, the most common types are the aluminosilicate zeolites of the clinoptilolite family, which consist of varying concentrations of aluminium, silicon, oxygen and other elements such as calcium (Ca), potassium (K) and sodium (Na). Due to their structure and composition, they form micropores and possess a high cation exchange capacity. The extent of these exchange properties varies from one type to another and is noticeably weaker in natural zeolites due to possible impurities. However, zeolites can easily be produced synthetically from a heated solution of aluminium, silicon and sodium hydroxide. The mineral deposits of the most common zeolites found in nature are those containing clinoptilolite, in which the content is high (75 per cent or more).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\u0396\u03b5\u03cc\u03bb\u03b9\u03b8\u03bf\u03c2<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A unique advantage of clinoptilolite is its physical and chemical adsorption and catalytic properties. Clinoptilolite can absorb ammonia, nitrates, nitrogen, hydrogen sulphide, heavy metals, carbon, oxygen, oils and manganese (Mn). It also adsorbs strontium (Sr), lead (Pb), copper (Cu), silver (Ag), mercury (Hg) and many others. The main advantage of zeolite\u2019s function lies in its physical\/chemical adsorption, ion exchange and catalytic properties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Catalytic properties of zeolite<\/h2>\n\n\n\n