#2982: Water Filtration

XKCD comic, described below.
Transcript

[Header:]

How Water Filtration Works

[A system of various devices between water pipes is shown.]

[Input:]

Well water

[Labels of various devices:]

Water softener

Reverse osmosis

Ultraviolet sterilization

Autoclave

Condenser

Regular osmosis

X-ray sterilization

Carbon filter

Neutron source

Activated carbon filter

Gamma ray sterilization

Cosmic ray sterilization [On the device: "EeV γ"]

Electrolysis [H2O split into O and H]

Oxygen spallation [O becomes H]

Ionizer [H split into + and -]

Quark-gluon plasma chamber [+ and - become QGP]

Hydrogenation [QGP becomes H]

Nucleosynthesis [H goes through "P-P CNO" and becomes He and C, then through "Alpha" and becomes O]

Reverse electrolysis

[Output after devices:]

Pure water

[Second input, mixed with pure water:]

Well water

[Label:]

Local minerals and probiotics added for taste and to support immune health

[Final output:]

To faucet

(Sourced from explainxkcd.com)

You'd think the most expensive part would be the quark-gluon plasma chamber, but it's actually usually the tube to the top of the atmosphere to carry the cosmic rays down.

ExplainOriginal