Distillation is the original water purifier—think moonshine stills and Victorian-era chemistry. You boil water, capture the steam, and condense it back into a clean liquid. Nitrates stay behind because they have a higher boiling point. It’s extremely effective, removing up to 99% of contaminants.
But let’s be honest: distillation is slow and energy-hungry. A typical countertop unit produces about a gallon every 3–4 hours. Perfect for your remote cabin or if you’re feeling retro, but not practical for a family of four. Plus, it makes water taste flat—some folks add a drop of lemon or a pinch of pink salt to liven it up.
Fun fact: distillation is how astronauts recycle their urine on the ISS. So if you’re drinking distilled water, you’re basically sipping space-level purity. Just don’t think about the backstory too hard.
Removal of Nitrate from Drinking Water by Ion-Exchange Followed by nZVI
