How LifeStraw works?

18 Mar

The personal, portable versions of the LifeStraw products use a membrane microfilter to decontaminate water. A less scientific way to describe the technology might be to think of the microfilters as a series of hollow tubes that have tiny, microscopic holes in them. The holes or pores are only 0.2 microns in diameter. To put that into perspective, a human hair is about 75 microns across, and anything below 40 microns is not visible to the eye.^1,2

Clean water can pass through the pores while bacteria, parasites, microplastics, dirt, silt, sand and cloudiness are blocked because they are too large. The result is safe drinking water that flows into a clean chamber.³

The best thing about LifeStraw filters is that they don’t require power – you do all the hard work. As you draw the liquid up by sucking on the top end of the straw/bottle, you create an area of low pressure inside the straw, which causes the liquid in the straw to flow up to your mouth. You simply suck up the filtered water from the clean water chamber.

The LifeStraw microfilters remove 99.999999% of bacteria (including E.coli, Salmonella), 99.999% of parasites (including Giardia and Cryptosporidium), 99.999% of microplastics, as well as dirt, sand and cloudiness. Those products in the range incorporating carbon filters will also remove chlorine, organic chemical matter and odours for improved taste.³

So, the LifeStraw products are the perfect companion for hiking, camping or surviving when you don’t have access to a tap – rivers, streams, ponds, dams – they can also be sources of hydration with a LifeStraw in your pocket or pack.

Each replaceable microfilter will produce 1,000 litres of clean water, while the carbon filter is good for 100 litres.

However, LifeStraw products keep working well after beyond the filter life. That’s because the LifeStraw Give Back program ensures that every purchase of any LifeStraw product provides a year of safe water to a child in need in developing countries.⁴