A Better Way to Boil: Comparing Methods of Purifying Water at Home

摘要

Despite major gains in access to water, sanitation, and hygieneservices around the world, an estimated 2:2 billion people stilllack access to safe drinking water.1 In places without a potablesupply, some households treat their own water, often by boiling.Others use bottled water. But little is known about the relativeeffectiveness of different boiling methods, the microbiologicalsafety of bottled water compared with public water sources,and the relationship between home water treatment and indoorair pollution. A study recently published in EnvironmentalHealth Perspectives explored these questions in rural Chinesecommunities.