Technology: Reports and Studies
THE CHANG REPORT: ON ESIL WATER
The water produced through the ESIL process, such as Ricochet bottled water, is called ESIL water. Based on our research and power of observation, logic and deductions, we can come to the conclusion that the ESIL water, in essence, is fresh water brought back to its pristine state, and its general characteristic is life-supporting. It is much healthier for human consumption than the waters produced otherwise. The following is a brief discussion on ESIL water and the related subjects.
About ESIL Water
ESIL Water is Free of Pathogens and Harmful Contaminants
The ESIL process only employs the higher form of energy, electricity, to force all possible reactions in the water to take place, at a controlled setting. Through the design of the ESIL cells, every molecule in the water is thoroughly treated. As a result, all microorganisms are killed, and both the organic and the inorganic harmful contaminants are broken down. The output is ESIL water plus by-products (i.e. inert substances and gases.) Since there is no other matter being added to the water during the entire process, all these by-products, which are the sum of all reacted substances, are from the input water. With all these reacted substances removed from the water, it can be seen that the quality of product water is better in every aspect compared with the input water.
ESIL Water is Balanced in pH and Minerals
The ESIL water is pH and MINERALLY BALANCED. This condition can only be achieved by applying the fundamental principle, i.e., oxidation/reduction, that governs all particle reactions in the material world. The active players in these reactions are the tiniest sub-atomic particles, electrons: specifically, those ones orbiting at the outmost layer of the atoms. An electron has no size (aka point particle), and has a mass of 9.108 X 10-28 grams, or about 1900 times less than the lightest atom (H). The atoms, in turn, are the building blocks of matter. The electrons have the characteristics of both wave and particle, i.e., energy and matter.
The ESIL process is based on the electrochemical principle at this subtlest level and on the redox (reduction-oxidation) potential of every element to achieve the removal of the harmful contaminants with the life-supporting minerals retained. This may be hard to accept at first, but what it simply means is those elements that resist to reactions during the ESIL process are very stable in water. They are present in the pristine state of the natural water, from which we evolved and thrived. Only through physical processes, which are based on the different physical properties, e.g., molecule size or boiling point, can these essential minerals be effectively separated from the water. Reverse osmosis (RO) and distillation are two good examples of physical processes in water treatment.
ESIL Water is Energized and Healthy
The ESIL process is an endothermic process, which means a reaction that absorbs energy, or, in other words, the potential energy of the products is greater than that of the reactants. This quality is very unique in that it distinguishes itself from other types of water treatments. It means that the ESIL water is energized (or charged), in terms of the ability to donate electrons. By nature, this energized condition (aka "reducing state" or "reducing power") will diminish over time, starting right from the water coming out of the electrolytic cells, but will never drop to a distressed level (aka "oxidative state" or "oxidative stress").
The "reducing power", indicated by a low reading with an ORP meter, is life promoting because it provides the energy needed for life by donating elections. In contrast, the "oxidative stress", indicated by a high ORP reading, is life demoting because it robs the body of energy, in the form of electrons. This is the reason why antioxidants, like Vitamin C and E, are important for health. An antioxidant has the ability to donate extra electrons to fight the "free radicals" - the culprit that causes many diseases.
An exothermic reaction, in contrast, is a reaction that releases energy, or one in which the potential energy of the products is at a lower state compared with that of the reactants; which is typical of other types of water treatment that involve chemical reactions.
Understanding and Appreciating ESIL Water
The above points touch upon the key qualities of ESIL water as healthy water. In order to understand and appreciate the breakthrough that ESIL technology has made in water treatment, it is useful to understand and be reminded with the fundamental principles and simple logics mentioned above. Combining the understanding of this technology with the test data of the water, intellectual conviction can be gained. Witnessing the testimonials of the users will help develop belief. Drinking the water regularly is a direct experience, and there is no substitute for direct experience.
The Breakthrough in Water Treatment
It should be pointed out that employing the electrolytic principle in water treatment is beautiful in concept, and has been well known for decades. However, many attempts have been made without success. The obstacles are many in this particular electrolytic application; such as corrosion of the anode, deposits at the cathode, incomplete or non-thorough reactions, expensive set-up, small output, un-expandable, uneconomical, and the list can go on. Yet not one of these obstacles is easy to be dealt with. The ESIL process represents the breakthrough in terms of overcoming the above-mentioned obstacles, but not in terms of the electrolytic principle. It is based on the fundamental laws, such as electro-chemistry principles, Faraday's Law, Fluid Dynamics etc., and on the latest development in Material Sciences.
Not surprisingly, it is very difficult for one to grasp all these aspects of the ESIL technology, when he or she is visiting the model plant. It is most difficult to accept the fact that "The invention looks so simple, yet it incorporates all the important aspects as discussed above." On the other hand, it does not help by saying: "It is too hard to understand this concept"
About Tap Water
Tap water is treated with chemicals to ensure that it is safe to drink. The objective of the treatment is to meet the drinking water standard set out by the public agencies. For the practical purpose, providing safe municipal drinking water outweighs all other factors. But water that is safe to drink (i.e., you don't get sick right away) does not mean it is good for the body. As a matter of fact, it is to fill this niche that additional water filtration units and bottled waters are gaining wider and wider popularity around the globe in recent years.
The main problems with the municipal tap water are:
- The organic and inorganic pollutants can be of concern, and there are more man-made pollutants added into the environment every day.
- The presence of chlorine, when it reacts with other organic contaminants in the water produces THM (tri-halo-methane) - a known carcinogen.
- The tap water is in a high oxidative state [high ORP (oxidation-reduction potential)], which is effective in killing the germs and preventing their growth. Up to now, the solution of keeping drinking water safe is to make the water deadly enough for the microorganisms. However, when we drink the same water, our body will also have to deal with the bacteria-killing aspect of the water, otherwise, it will harm the "good bacteria" in our body, as one of the adverse effects. (The presence of good bacteria and their population are particularly important in maintaining the function of our intestines, where nutrients and wastes are perpetually dynamically present.) It takes energy and time for the body to neutralize this undesirable property of the tap water, which may explain the feelings of fullness or stagnancy in the stomach some people have after drinking tap water on an empty stomach.
In order to control the growth of germs, the practice of keeping drinking water safe is similar to adding chlorine in the swimming pool, or the use of bleach by the household. Society has been limited by this approach of controlling the "safety" of the drinking water at the cost of users' long-term health consequences. This is really a subject that deserves our calm enquiry. Due to the limited alternatives and the grave consequences if the public becomes panicked about their tap water quality, we would rather not think about it. However, if we do, we would even question the benefits of going to the public swimming pools or whirlpool hot tubs, especially in an enclosed building.
About Alkalized Water
The alkalized water is produced from a water treatment unit consisting of electrolytic cells, in which a special partition is placed between the anode and the cathode, and two different streams of water are produced. Using clean filtered water as the requirement for input water, these units do not purify water as much as modify the levels of ions in the water by electrolysis. As a result, the output water of the cathode side is alkaline with low ORP reading, whereas the anode side is acidic with high ORP. In this approach, the treatment is characterized by incomplete reactions, and the product water is unnatural and unbalanced. Some refer to this water as "electrolyzed water"; it should not be confused with ESIL water as explained in the previous section.
However, there are marketing forces at play to introduce to a group of consumers to this alkalized water, (also called "ionized water"), claiming it is the latest evolution of our drinking water, which can cure many diseases and maintain our health if we drink it regularly. Unfortunately, due to misleading marketing information and the lack of in-depth knowledge required on this subject, that even the reasonably educated, health-conscious persons are getting quite confused about or are sold on this type of water.
The truth of the matter is that any benefit from drinking this alkalized water comes from the quality of its input water, as well as from the reducing power (ability to donate electrons, a low ORP reading) of this water. But as mentioned earlier, this reducing power will diminish over time. It is not a sound approach to attain just this one desirable quality at the cost of all others. With this approach, the more negative the ORP reading of this water, the more unstable, unbalanced and unnatural it is. It simply is not nature's way of producing good and balanced water.
If this alkalized water really can do wonders to our health due to its alkalinity, why not just add a pinch of baking soda to bring about the desirable pH. The health food pioneers encourage the taking of food or drink that has the alkaline effect (e.g., fresh fruits and vegetables). But this message is totally distorted by people who think taking the food or drink that has high pH is beneficial. The modern western diet is typically rich in processed and cooked food, meat and dairy products, refined flour and sugar; and lack of vitamins, minerals, healthy oil and fibers. These foods produce excess acid in our bodies, as shown in the blood, saliva and urine. It is in this context that foods and drinks that have the alkaline effect in our bodies are proposed - to achieve a more balanced diet.
In deed, very few individuals have a clear understanding of what good (healthy) drinking water should be. It should have all the desirable qualities as mentioned previously. However, it is difficult to fulfill all these requirements. This is why in nature there are only few celebrated spots where the water has the reputation of a healing effect.
About RO (Reverse Osmosis) Water
RO water, which includes micro-filtration water, is the bandwagon that almost every water company decided to jump on to fill the market niche, for point-of-use units as an add-on to the tap water line, or for bottled water under a growing number of brands. The RO unit is a "refinement" process, i.e., it further eliminates the pollutants from fairly clean filtered input water. In this case, the RO units reduce pollutants in every major contaminant category except viruses and bacteria. The RO method, however, is neither an efficient process, nor environmentally friendly. This process relies on the pressure generated from the input water to force water through a semi-permeable membrane to produce RO water, which represents about 1/3 of the input volume, and the remaining 2/3 of the input water is contaminated and discarded. The process of micro-filtration is similar to that of RO except suction pressure is applied from the other side of the membrane.
RO water lacks minerals (salts); typically it is rated at less than 3 ppm (parts per million) of TDS (total dissolved solids). It is ultra-pure water but not healthy drinking water. The human body needs minerals and trace minerals for its delicate and complicated functions. Although the main source of our minerals comes from foods, but we also need our minerals from drinks we take in. It is a shocking truth that most people today are in various degrees of mineral deficiency, which is the result of topsoil depletion, modern agri-business practices, unhealthy diet and life-style. Many diseases, including cancers, are the results of chronic mineral deficiency. It is no wonder that some therapies, e.g., 714X cancer therapy developed in Canada, have demonstrated their efficacy essentially by the treatment of reinforcing patients' minerals intake.
All minerals are from the earth. Animals, including human, and plants do not produce minerals, however, they recycle the minerals. Proponents for RO water and Distilled water claim that our bodies can only absorb the minerals from food intake. The truth is that although our body takes in minerals more efficiently when comes with foods, it can also absorb minerals that are present in the water and they are indispensable and vital to our health. To claim that we do not need minerals in the water or that the body cannot absorb the minerals in the water is obviously not true. Here is an example, salt (NaCl, sodium chloride) consists the two master minerals we need in our bodies, and it is from either salt water or salt mines. Can anyone really maintain his health without taking salt, which is practically added to all foods?
The biggest beverage company in the world, Coca Cola, knows that minerals in the water should not be absent, which is the reason why their bottled RO water has the final touch of re-mineralization. Without going into details on this topic, suffice it to say it is not a sound approach. For a better and safer result in this regard, we can make a quality tea with RO water. Traditionally, this is what the Japanese do to get more minerals from the water they drink, where its drinking water is known for low TDS.
Controversy About Fluoride
The subject of fluoride in the drinking water is by far generating more controversy than other topics, and is also a subject that requires in-depth investigation to clear the smoke from the basic facts.
The first stage of the smoke comes from those interest groups selling fluoride-based chemicals since the 1940's. The fluoridation of the public drinking water was the push of industry muscle, and it got started by selling the idea of Dr. Dean's publications in 1939 that showed fluoride might reduce dental cavities. Decades have passed, and up to this day, with no success in preventing cavity of the teeth, and with mounting evidences of adverse health effects raised by prominent health practitioners and scientists, we in North America still have to live with fluoridated municipal water.
The added confusion was that most people, including dentists and health professionals, believe that sodium fluoride - a natural occurring form, is used for fluoridation of the drinking water. In fact, most municipal waters use hydrofluorosilicic acid, a direct byproduct of the pollution scrubbers in the phosphate fertilizer industry, for fluoridation. This industry byproduct is impure and often contains toxins like uranium oxide, thorium and radium (all radioactive compounds), as well as certain heavy metals (like lead and arsenic). Reports have shown that most aggravated, adverse health effects of fluoridation are suspected to have a link with these toxins, not with the fluoride.
The current stage of fluoride free (i.e., 0 ppm) message was the smoke released by the marketing forces of the water companies selling RO or Distiller water. These marketing people riding on the negative campaign of fluoridation, and shrewdly imply that fluoride is no good at all, and that ideally the best water should have no fluoride in it. Yet, the fact is a minute amount of fluoride is present in the water naturally, and cannot be removed easily except using RO or Distillation. Fluoride ion, among all non-metal elements, is very stable in water and requires the highest chemical potential for conversion. (The same is true for sodium and chloride ions, which is the reason why the electrochemical process does not remove salt from seawater.) It is also basic facts that trace amount of fluoride and other halogen elements, i.e., chloride and iodide, are essential for the health of our body. We should not be fooled by its "0 ppm fluoride" claim and deem it as beneficial when we pick up a bottled RO water next time. No, it is not a feature of healthy water at all.
Summary
It is obvious to everyone that water is very important in every aspect of our lives. However, a correct understanding of water is certainly not obvious; especially, when it comes to the subject "What is a good drinking water?" This is due to the inter-disciplinary fields of knowledge involved, and the ability to distinguish the truth from the half-truths and the untruths - when we are constantly inundated with conflicting messages from the authorities, the professionals, and the marketing propaganda.
Ultra-pure water, such as the water produced by RO, micro-filtration and Distillation, has been the key approach to fill the public's need for a "better" quality drinking water, versus municipal tap water. Ultra-pure water is ideal for the controlled applications, where 100% purity (of the H20) is called for. Their many applications range from medical, pharmaceutical, industrial to Research & Development. However, ultra-pure water is not suitable for drinking purposes. It does not exist as natural water, and it requires the highest unit cost to produce.
Through our studies, we know the pristine state of natural fresh water is the best in supporting life. Furthermore, it is confirmed by many fields of knowledge that this life-supporting ability can be explained by the water's key qualities of germ free, harmful contaminants free, pH and minerals balanced, and being energized or not oxidative-stressed. In this regard, ESIL water, as discussed in the preceding pages, is shown to have these important qualities; which can be confirmed by study, tests, witnessing the testimonials of the users, and direct experience of using the water.
Randy Chang, M.A. Sc.
Consulted with Anna Chang, Ph.D., Molecular Biologist