What is the Difference Between Filtration and Purification?

The main difference between filtration and purification lies in the methods they use to remove contaminants and impurities from water. Here are the key differences:

• Filtration: This process prevents the passage of solid particles through a filter or screen, while the liquid flows through it. Filtration focuses on removing impurities such as bacteria or larger particles. Common filtration methods include sediment filters and membrane filters, which can retain elements according to size or microscopic contaminants.
• Purification: This process removes unwanted impurities from the water using methods such as distillation, UV radiation, or ion exchange. Purification works to further purify water from contaminants that filtration methods can't remove, such as chemicals, viruses, or heavy metals.

In summary, filtration is a technique used to separate solid particles from water by running it through a filter, while purification involves the use of chemical or physical methods to remove a wider range of contaminants. Both processes can improve the quality of water, but they serve different purposes and work in different ways.

Comparative Table: Filtration vs Purification

Here is a table comparing the differences between filtration and purification:

In summary, filtration is a technique used to remove solid particles from a fluid, while purification encompasses various methods to remove different types of contaminants, including bacteria, chemicals, and viruses. Filtration focuses on removing large particles and some biological contaminants like bacteria, but it may not remove chemicals, viruses, or other small contaminants. On the other hand, purification processes like evaporation, smelting, refining, distillation, adsorption, and more work to further purify water or substances from contaminants that filtration methods can't remove.