If you watch a lot of TV programs, you will surely come across the Madhuri Dixit Aquaguard advertisement. Madhuri Dixit, in a dual role of a mother and daughter, extols the virtues of Active Copper Technology in Aquaguard water purifiers.
Now, what is Active Copper Technology?
Is it some innovative technology poised to revolutionize the water purification industry, or is it like the old wine in a new bottle? Let us explore what Active Copper Technology in Aquaguard is.
Aquaguard viewpoint
Let us first hear the manufacturer’s view on Active Copper Technology.
Aquaguard states that the Active Copper technology infuses copper ions into RO-purified water to enhance its purity and enable the water to imbibe the benefits of copper water purification. The water purifier comes fitted with a special cartridge that infuses copper ions in the right quantities as stipulated by USEPA and IS10500:2012. Furthermore, the company claims that the water is safe because the leaching of copper ions happens in safe proportions.
How does the technology work?
The Aquaguard water purifier does not rely on copper water purification alone. The primary purification technology used in these water purifiers is Reverse Osmosis, followed by Ultra Violet Technology.
The copper cartridge is placed at the end of the water purification cycle to add some copper ions that the RO water purification process removes from the source water. The RO-purified water goes through the copper cartridge before its dispensation.
The cartridge releases copper ions in minute quantities (as per USEPA and IS10500 norms). But the water does not remain in contact with copper for periods long enough to allow the leaching of copper ions into it. So, it is not clear whether copper purification has any impact on water quality. But, Aquaguard claims that the process releases copper in sufficient quantities to match our daily copper requirements.
So, the question arises about how much copper is good for the human body. Let us see the WHO specifications, but we should understand the role of copper in purifying water.
The Role of Copper in Purifying Water
Ancient Indian texts document the role of copper in purifying water. That explains why our ancestors used copper vessels for storing water at home. However, keeping water in a copper vessel is a scientific process.
The water has to remain untouched overnight and be consumed in the morning. Copper ions take time to leach from the vessel into the water.
Research has also shown that copper content (177 +/- 16 parts per billion) in water stored in copper vessels was within the World Health Organization’s permissible limits. Copper content up to the approved WHO limits has the power to kill microbes and purify water. The WHO recommends that water should not contain more than 0.47 mg of copper per cup. It translates to around 2 mg per liter. Besides, WHO says that the upper intake limit for copper should not be more than 10mg daily. So, water stored for more than ten hours in copper vessels should be discarded.
Do we get our copper requirement from food?
Yes. We can easily depend on our regular diet to provide the requisite amount of copper for our bodies. Copper is found in various foods like meat, fish, shellfish, nuts, grains, seeds, and chocolate. Consuming these copper-rich foods should suffice to replenish our bodies with the 10 mg of copper they need daily. So, additional copper infusion through water is not necessary.
Our Take on Active Copper Technology
Our experience with the Aquaguard water purifiers shows that Active Copper Technology does not have much of an impact. It seems like a cosmetic arrangement to add some copper ions at the fag end of the water purification process. Therefore, it is clear that the water is already pure even without the copper ion infusion through Active Copper Technology.
Since our regular diet can cater to the traces of copper required for our daily intake, consuming copper through water is unnecessary. However, if our diet intake has a copper deficiency, we can supplement it through copper infusion in water. Therefore, we feel Aquaguard Active Copper Technology is a marketing concept with less utility value.
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