Are water purifiers more harmful than polluted water? “Yes”, says noted consumer activist Bejon Misra. And he has come out with a publication providing evidence that even the branded water purifiers are harmful as they use overdose of chemicals for purification that get deposited in the bodies after consuming.
Mr. Misra, who released his book “Safety issues concerning storage water purifiers” at Crossword Book Store, said that the companies do not adhere to international standards with regard to usage of chemicals and they mislead the consumers making tall claims.
Unfortunately, the consumer is in no position to verify the claims.
“They are buying branded purifiers based on faith but actually are consuming overdose of chemicals like Chlorine, bromide and nano-silver,” he said, adding that consumption of these chemicals lead to dangerous diseases.
Mr. Misra said it was time the government prescribes standards for water purifiers as it did in case of packaged drinking water. Companies don't provide relevant information on the residues of chemicals the purification process leaves behind in their product.
“We are not against the usage of purifiers but against the overdose of chemicals used for purification.” The book, he said, talks about some crucial issues like how the government has failed to address these problems and how companies were exploiting the customers.
However, Mr. Misra said that products that use reverse osmosis process and ultra-violet rays for purification of water were safe.
Arjun L. Khandare from the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), who received the first book agreed to the points raised by Mr. Misra.
Published - September 21, 2010 12:52 pm IST
