What Does A Humidifier Do And Why Do I Need One?

What Does A Humidifier Do And Why Do I Need One?

Just in case the Internet hasn't sufficiently informed you, it's getting colder outside. And as the weather gets cooler and the air drier, you might consider purchasing a humidifier, which can alleviate some cold-weather ailments.

Humidifiers work to put moisture back in the air, but what exactly does that mean, how does it help your chapped lips and is it crucial to own one? Read on for our guide to the handy device.

So, what exactly does a humidifier do?

There's more than one type of humidifier, but at the most basic level, the device emits water vapor into a space to increase the level of humidity. When used correctly, humidifiers can help to alleviate dry skin, chapped lips, nose bleeds and other pesky cold-weather conditions. It can even help to reduce some snoring!

Are there any downsides to humidifiers?

Humidifiers do more good than bad, as long as you clean them properly. Without regular care, a dirty humidifier could promote bacteria and mold growth.

You also want to ensure that your humidifier does not make your home too humid. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, ideal indoor humidity levels can vary but "the ideal levels of humidity for your living space will be less than 60 [percent] in the summer and between 25 — 40 [percent] in the winter." You can monitor the indoor humidity of your home by checking this website, and looking for an increase in condensation, mold or insects in your home.

How do I clean a humidifier?

From white vinegar and tea tree oil to using distilled water, there are many hacks to clean your humidifier. The important thing is that you do clean it -- regularly.

What kind of humidifier do I need?

There are a few different types of humidifiers currently on the market that work best for certain homes or situations. From travel humidifiers to devices that target eczema and psoriasis, we've rounded up the best of the best.

Take a look!

1

If you want to relieve congestion...

2

If your child needs a humidifier...

3

If you don't like to get out of bed...

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If you want to humidify your whole house...

5

If you're looking for a stylish option...

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If you want a travel humidifier...

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If you're looking for psoriasis relief..

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What is the Best Water to Drink?

Best Water to Drink

Many people struggle to know which type of water is the best because the market is full of so many different types. Each one claims to have some wildly impressive additional health benefits. However, which of these claims are true and which ones are simply no more than clever advertisers stretching the truth to sell more products?

This article will help you identify the main types of water available today and tell you what the real health benefits are based on scientific evidence and research data.

By the end of this article you will be better informed and have a good idea of which water you think is best for your specific needs.

1. Tap water
2. Bottled water
3. Distilled water
4. Hydrogen water
5. Alkaline water
6. Boiled water
7. Which is the best water to drink?

Tap water

Tap water is the type of water that comes out of your water faucet. In most countries, it is usually supplied and controlled by a local government authority.

Who is it best for?

Everyone. It is generally safe for things like cooking, cleaning and laundry.

Biggest benefits

Cheap, easy to access for most people and usually a safe source of water.

Risks and issues

Tap water is generally safe to drink but some recent studies raise cause for concern. For instance, the EWG (Environmental Working Group) did a 5-year study looking at the quality of US tap water. The results showed that tap water supplied to all 50 states contained over 500 different contaminants.[1]

There are also some instances where a mineral like fluoride is added to the public water supply. For instance, around 10% of the UK population is supplied with fluoridated tap water to cut tooth decay.[2]

Bottled water

Bottled water is portable purified water that you can easily and conveniently buy whenever you’re thirsty.

Who is it best for?

Everyone. It is a good source of water for drinking.

Biggest benefit

Very convenient way to access clean safe drinking water.

Risks and issues

Some of the large water brands have admitted that their bottled water is nothing more than filtered tap water.

The biggest issue is the environmental cost. The creation of bottled water is insanely wasteful when it takes about 3 litres of water just to produce 1 litre.[3]

Also, plastics are extremely difficult to recycle. This means that your plastic bottle is likely to end up taking space in landfill sites. Or worse, it might end up in the ocean and poison not just the water but wildlife too.

Distilled water

Distilled water is sometimes called demineralized or deionized water. It is water that has everything removed including ions and minerals. It’s the purest form of water that you can get. It literally has nothing in it (good and bad). This means it has no contaminants, bacteria, minerals or nutrients.

Who is it best for?

Its high level of purity makes it the water of choice in places like laboratories and factories. It is also good if you want to drink water that is completely pure.

Biggest benefits

Distilled water has the highest level of purity and is almost sterile.

Risks and issues

There are no harmful risks associated with distilled water because it is so clean. However, some health reports suggest that it might not be best to always drink water that is completely empty of healthy minerals and nutrients.[4]

Hydrogen water

This is water that contains hydrogen molecules that act as powerful antioxidants. The claim is these molecules are capable of helping your body neutralize harmful free radicals that contribute to disease development, reduce inflammation and slow down aging.

Who is it best for?

Those who are very health conscious and happy to pay extra money on something that may have health benefits – but not guaranteed.

Biggest benefits

The hype around hydrogen water is based on a serious of studies conducted on mice. The studies appear to show that this type of water has mild anti-inflammatory effects, particularly on the development of diseases like Parkinson’s.[5]

Risks and issues

Many of the big health claims are still inconclusive when similar studies were performed on human beings. Yet, some of the health claims are presented as fact even though there are no guarantees. Also, all the hype makes this type of water very expensive to buy.

Alkaline water

Alkaline Water is water that is at a pH level of 8 and above, which is higher than the pH of regular water. It has become more popular because research shows that an alkaline diet is generally good for health.[6]

Who is it best for?

Everyone because drinking alkaline water is generally considered to be safe.

Biggest benefits

The human body thrives when it is able to maintain a slightly alkaline pH. Consuming alkaline water may be able to help in this regard. Here’re more benefits of it:

Risks and issues

A report from the World Health Organization cautions against regularly drinking water that has low mineral content.[8] Alkaline water tends to be low on minerals and nutrients.

Boiled water

Boiling your water is generally one of the cheapest and most effective ways to purify your water. This is because putting water in temperatures above 185° F (85° C) will kill most pathogens within a few minutes.

Who is it best for?

Everyone. Boiled water is usually clean, safe and healthy to drink.

Biggest benefits

It is a great way to purify water that is not heavily contaminated.

Risks and issues

Boiling water will not purify water that is contaminated with things like lead, pesticides, nitrates and other chemicals. Also, some people don’t like the “flat taste” that sometimes comes with boiled water.

Which is the best water to drink?

The healthiest type of water is technically hydrogen water because of the potential health benefits of the antioxidants it contains.

However, the truth is that even the healthiest type of water can only ever have minor health benefits. Hydrogen water and any other type of water on this list will not be able to repair an unhealthy diet or lifestyle.

The biggest health benefits from hydration come from drinking water itself regardless of what type of water it is. The truth is that any type of water is good for you so long as it is clean and free of impurities.

The bottom line is that you should consider all the different “healthy” types of water on the market as ‘life enhancers’. Something that can mildly improve a lifestyle and diet that is already very healthy but not fix one that is not.

Untuk kotoran dari WC tidak boleh dijadikan satu dengan air kotoran dari tempat lain, karena harus dimasukkan kedalam septiktank dan diteruskan ke resapan. Semua saluran yang digunakan adalah saluran tertutup yang kedap air. Kotoran dari WC disalurkan ke septiktank untuk dihancurkan dan diendapkan. Dari septiktank, air yang meluber disalurkan ke resapan untuk meresapkan air setelah meninggalkan kotoran di septiktank.

WC (Water Closed) adalah sistem penampungan kotoran langsung dari manusia yang membuang hajat/kotoran dengan menggunakan air sebagai sistem penutupannya. Air digunakan untuk menutup saluran agar bau yang masuk ke lubang WC bersama kotoran tidak keluar.

Saluran untuk air kotoran harus benar-benar kedap agar tidak mencemari tanah/lingkungan. Septiktank adalah tempat untuk menghancurkan kotoran dan mengendapkan kotoran atau lumpur, sedangkan air yang tersisa disalurkan ke resapan untuk diresapkan ke tanah.

SUNGAI PETANI 26 Ogos - Sudah lebih lima tahun menunggu, sehingga kini kira-kira 1,000 penduduk Kampung Permatang Gedung dekat sini masih tercari-cari penyelesaian terhadap masalah limpahan kolam takungan air kotor serta jijik yang membanjiri jalan utama ke kampung mereka.

Bukan tidak pernah membuat aduan kepada pihak berkuasa, namun masalah tersebut yang sering mendatangkan segala macam bahaya serta penyakit kepada penduduk, selain menyebabkan jalan rosak seolah-olah tidak dipedulikan.

Salah seorang daripada mereka, Abdullah Wahab, 40, memberitahu, air kolam takungan dari Taman Sejati Indah yang terletak di atas bukit bersebelahan jalan tersebut, seringkali penuh dan membanjiri jalan utama sepanjang kira-kira 150 meter sehingga ke paras betis terutamanya selepas hujan.

“Kami tiada pilihan dan sudah lali meranduk air kotor yang membawa segala jenis penyakit itu sejak lima tahun lalu. Bukan tidak pernah membuat aduan tetapi suara kami di sini seakan tidak dipedulikan sedangkan masalah ini sudah dibangkitkan sejak sebelum pilihan raya umum lalu lagi.

“Bukan saja kolam takungan itu, malah longkang besar yang menyalurkan air kotor ke kolam tersebut juga akan melimpah ke rumah penduduk kampung yang terletak di bawah bukit. Maka tidak hairanlah kami di sini sering berdepan masalah denggi,” katanya kepada Utusan Malaysia di sini hari ini.

Tinjauan Utusan Malaysia ke tempat kolam takungan itu mendapati, kolam tersebut langsung tidak diselenggara dengan pagar di sekelilingnya kebanyakannya sudah roboh akibat berkarat selain keadaan dalam kolam juga dipenuhi tumbuhan dan sampah yang meminimumkan kemampuan menampung jumlah air.

Seorang lagi penduduk, Suhardi Abas, 38, memberitahu isteri dan anaknya pernah menjadi mangsa keadaan apabila terjatuh ke dalam ‘banjir’ air kotor itu ketika terpaksa meredahya untuk menghantar anak ke sekolah.

“Ketika itu isteri dan anak yang menunggang motosikal berselisih dengan kereta. Dalam keadaan tidak stabil, kedua-duanya terjatuh dan dibasahi air yang menjijikkan itu menyebabkan mereka terpaksa berpatah balik untuk menukar pakaian.

“Isteri saya bukan yang pertama jatuh di situ. Kami berharap keadaan ini dapat diselesaikan secepat mungkin bagi mengelakkan lebih ramai menjadi mangsa,” ujarnya.

Sementara itu, Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Kemajuan dan Keselamatan Kampung (JKKK), Idris Ayob memberitahu, kali terakhir pihaknya membuat aduan kepada Majlis Perbandaran Sungai Petani (MPSPK) adalah pada 24 April 2014.

“Tetapi sehingga kini tiada penyelesaian. Wakil rakyat tidak pernah menjenguk sementara Ahli Parlimen, Datuk Johari Abdul cukup sukar untuk bertemunya walaupun sudah beberapa kali kami berkunjung ke pusat khidmatnya di sini sejak dua penggal beliau memenangi pilihan raya,” katanya.

Menurut Pertubuhan Kesihatan Sedunia hampir 1 bilion orang tidak mempunyai akses untuk membersihkan air minum, dan jumlah itu dijangka meningkat dengan perubahan iklim. Sementara itu, keperluan tenaga kita yang semakin meningkat dan penggunaan logam berat dalam proses perindustrian telah memaksimumkan pendedahan kita kepada bahan toksik di dalam air.

Kaedah komersial semasa untuk menghilangkan logam berat termasuk memimpin dari air minum perbandaran cenderung mahal dan memakan tenaga, tanpa cukup cekap. Kurang pendekatan konvensional mungkin lebih berkesan, tetapi penggunaan tunggal, sukar untuk menjana semula, atau menghasilkan sisa toksik yang ketara sebagai produk sampingan.

Sekarang, makmal Profesor Wendy Lee Queen di EPFL, dengan rakan-rakan di University of California Berkeley dan Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory telah menemukan penyelesaian menggunakan rangka logam organik (MOFs), yang merupakan bahan yang terdiri daripada nod logam yang saling berkaitan dengan bahan kimia organik ' struts '. Kawasan permukaan dalaman yang tidak pernah berlaku sebelum ini dan kebolehubahan kimia mudah membolehkan MOFs "menarik" wap air dan gas lain dari udara. Ciri-ciri yang sama menjadikan mereka bahan yang menjanjikan juga untuk menghilangkan logam berat dari air.

Seorang pelajar PhD di EPFL-Valais, Daniel T. Sun, telah merangka komposit MOF / polimer stabil dengan menggunakan bahan-bahan yang murah, mesra alam dan biologi. Para saintis merawat MOF, yang dikenali sebagai Fe-BTC, dengan dopamin, yang dipolimerkan kepada polidopamine (PDA) yang menyematkan polimer di dalam MOF. Komposit terakhir, bernama Fe-BTC / PDA, boleh dengan cepat dan secara selektif menghapuskan jumlah logam berat yang tinggi seperti plumbum dan merkuri dari sampel air dunia sebenar. Malah, ia boleh mengeluarkan lebih daripada 1.6 kali berat merkuri sendiri dan 0.4 kali berat memimpin.

Fe-BTC / PDA kemudian diuji dalam penyelesaian sebagai toksik sebagai beberapa contoh air terburuk yang terdapat di Flint, Michigan. Ujian menunjukkan bahawa MOF boleh, dalam masa beberapa saat, mengurangkan kepekatan utama kepada 2 bahagian per bilion, satu tahap yang Agensi Perlindungan Alam Sekitar A.S. dan Pertubuhan Kesihatan Sedunia dianggap boleh diminum.

Para saintis juga telah mengeluarkan petunjuk dari pelbagai sampel air dunia nyata yang diperoleh dari Sungai Rhone, Laut Mediterranean, dan loji rawatan air sisa di Switzerland. Mereka juga menunjukkan bagaimana bahan boleh diperbaharui dengan mudah.

Terdapat banyak sumber pendedahan kepada logam berat toksik. Misalnya, plumbum digunakan dalam cat, glazes seramik, perhiasan, mainan, dan paip. Memandangkan ini, pendekatan dengan MOF baru menunjukkan banyak janji untuk menyelesaikan batasan semasa sistem pembersihan air. Penulis kajian kini sedang menguji MOF lain yang direka khas untuk menghapuskan jenis pencemar lain dalam air dan udara.

MATU: Sebahagian daripada 17,000

MATU: Sebahagian daripada 17,000 penduduk di Daerah Matu kini berdepan dengan masalah tekanan air yang rendah. Lebih perit lagi ada ketikanya air yang keluar dari saluran paip ke rumah penduduk kotor seperti air sungai selepas hujan.

Ekoran daripada keadaan tersebut penduduk di daerah berkenaan kini begitu sukar untuk mendapat bekalan air bersih yang untuk kegunaan seharian lebih-lebih lagi dalam ketika penduduk menjalani ibadah puasa di bulan Ramadan sekarang.

Masalah tekanan rendah dan kualiti air yang teruk bukan perkara baharu bagi penduduk namun keadaan tersebut kini kian meruncing apabila ia berlaku ketika penduduk menjalani ibadah puasa dan secara kebetulan juga kini musim cuti sekolah yang menyaksikan ramai penduduk yang balik bercuti di kampung menyebabkan penggunaan bertambah dari biasa.

Lebih menyedihkan lagi, penduduk di Kampung Tian dalam daerah yang sama kini berdepan masalah air kotor dan dan tidak dapat diminum.

Akibatnya, penduduk terpaksa mengeluarkan perbelanjaan lebih untuk membeli air minuman botol (air mineral) sebagai kegunaan memasak dan untuk berbuka puasa.

Mengutip luahan nitizen yang terjejas akibat masalah itu, kebanyakan mereka berang dengan keadaan yang berlaku kini. Dan tiadanya tindakan segera oleh pihak berkenaan bagi memulihkan keadaan tersebut membuatkan penduduk mula hilang sabar dan menjadikan laman media sosial sebagai medan melepas apa yang terbuku di hati kepada pihak yang berkenaan.

Seorang penduduk, Noralizza Arshad berkata, penduduk kini amat bimbang jika masalah air yang dialami berlarutan sehingga menjelang Syawal.

“Hari Raya ramai yang akan pulang berhari raya di kampung.Sekali gus akan menyebabkan peningkatan penggunaan air. Jika tiada langkah segera diambil sambutan Hari Raya tahun ini akan terencat dan tidak semeriah sebelum ini.

“Saya mewakili penduduk di sini merayu kepada pihak berkenaan agar dapat bertindak segera untuk menyelesaikan masalah air yang dihadapi kami sini. Jika tiada cara lain tolonglah hantar air bersih untuk kami dengan apa cara sekalipun dengan lorikah, dengan kapalkah. Yang penting penduduk ada sumber untuk dapat air bersih,” ujarnya.

Menurut seorang penduduk yang hanya mahu dikenali sebagai Rohani Shatu, seluruh penduduk Daerah Matu menerima bekalan air dari loji perawatan air yang terletak di hulu Kampung Tian.

“Matu terdiri daripada beberapa kampung. Tiga kampung memiliki penduduk tertinggi iaitu Kampung Sekaan, Bawang, dan Tian. Tidak terkecuali Kuala Matu.

“Penduduk ramai, jadi loji sudah tidak mampu memenuhi permintaan penduduk yang kian bertambah. Usaha memperbesar saluran paip induk bawah tanah perlu dilakukan dengan kadar segera. Sejak loji air dibina saluran paip utama belum pernah dinaik taraf atau ditukar. Ini menjadi antara sebab yang menyumbang kepada masalah tekanan air rendah dan kotor.

“Rancangan Transformasi Luar Bandar (RTP) telah lama diperkenalkan. Jadi harapan kami bawalah RTP ke daerah bermasalah ini bagi menjana perubahan dan pembawa arus pembangunan untuk kami di sini. Air adalah keperluan asas yang tidak boleh dipandang enteng selain pembangunan prasarana seperti jalan raya dan juga elektrik,” ujarnya.

Tambah Rohani lagi, ketiadaan air bersih menambah bebanan penduduk. Penduduk perlu membeli air minuman dalam botol. Air berkenaan berharga dari RM 9 hingga RM12 (sekotak, 12 botol, 1.5 liter).

“Terpaksa membeli air satu lagi beban yang perlu ditanggung penduduk yang kurang mampu dan juga bagi golongan warga emas,” jelasnya.

Harapan penduduk kini, masalah yang sedang melanda Daerah Matu akan mendapat perhatian sewajarnya daripada pihak berwajib dalam masa terdekat.

Water is an extremely complex liquid. The way in which separate water molecules accumulate on various materials has a crucial impact on a great many processes, including corrosion and weathering, and is key in ensuring that catalysts function optimally. A team based at TU Wien has now managed to uncover the mystery behind the structure of water molecules on iron oxide surfaces, and their work has revealed that water molecules can form of complex structures reminiscent of bridges, which play a significant role when it comes to chemical reactions on the surface.

The special properties of water

"What makes water molecules unique is that they can form hydrogen bridge bonds," explains Prof. Gareth Parkinson from the Institute of Applied Physics at TU Wien. "The electrical charge distribution is not even. The oxygen atom is slightly negatively charged, whilst the hydrogen atoms are slightly positively charged." As a result, bonds can form between water molecules -- the famous hydrogen bridge bonds -- or even between a water molecule and other types of molecule.

The repercussions of this are wide-ranging. For example, hydrogen bridge bonds are the reason that water needs to reach the high temperature of 100°C before it boils. They are also a key factor in the structure of proteins.

These bonds even come into play time and time again for completely unscientific assertions, as people claim they allow for mysterious 'information' to be stored in water. This is physically impossible because hydrogen bridge bonds are not very strong at all and are broken down again in a split second in liquid water. Nevertheless, you can see very different results when water molecules accumulate on surfaces, where incredibly complex, stable structures form at low temperatures.

The realms of possibility

"There had already been indirect indications of this type of structure forming," says Ulrike Diebold (TU Wien). "But in order to really make the structure of water visible on iron oxide surfaces, we had to optimise the very best state-of-the-art measurement techniques further and really push the boundaries of what is possible."

To start with, a jet of water molecules is blasted onto the surface in a vacuum at a low temperature. The surface is then gently heated up to a temperature of around -30°C, causing the water structures to gradually be broken up. The water molecules detach from the surface one by one and are collected by a detector. "We can measure exactly how many water molecules leave the surface at a particular temperature. We can then take this information to work out the bond energy, which in turn allows us to identify the type of molecule structures we are dealing with," explained Gareth Parkinson.

At the same time, a special vibration-proof, high-performance microscope was used to produce high-resolution images of the surface, so that the water structures could actually be seen. In addition to this, sophisticated computer simulations were developed as a way of explaining the geometrical positioning of the water molecules at the quantum level. "Finally we have three tools at our disposal that allow us to study the water structures, and that's what's needed if you want to get reliable results," says Gareth Parkinson. "All three analyses match up perfectly, leaving us to conclude with great confidence that we now understand the formation of water structures on iron oxide surfaces."

The evidence shows that several structures are formed: it is rare that a single water molecule sits on the surface alone, with water molecules instead tending to gather in pairs or groups of three. Then you have more complex structures consisting of six or eight molecules, which span the surface of the iron oxide like elliptically curved bridges.

"Our primary objective was to develop the analytical methods to the point that we could obtain irrefutable proof of these molecular structures. And that's what we did," says Ulrike Diebold. "The method that we used here for iron oxide can also be applied to other materials."