History and Development of Water Treatment for Human Consumption

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The subject of drinking water treatment is very popular, a review on this topic should contain a lot of information. The reference to only 25 literature items is unacceptable. For me, this work contains too superficial information. The manuscript must be enriched before publication.

In addition:

- 2.2. History of boiling water.

“As the water after boiling had an unpleasant taste, it was customary to infuse it with herbs: tea is the best example. This led to the belief that boiling a liquid (e.g. fruit juice) produced a beverage that was "good for you". This explains why fermented beverages such as wine, mead, beer, rice juice or fermented palm juice can be found in every civilization. In Europe in the Middle Ages, when all previous work on water and its treatment had been completely forgotten, many waters were dangerous, and wine and beer were the main beverages drunk.”

I don't quite understand the jump from adding juice to water to the popularity of alcoholic beverages. Please add a linking sentence.

“At 100°C, one 10⁶ log of bacteria or other microorganisms is killed per minute of contact.” - It would be possible to add exact information on how much time minimum the water must be boiled.

-2.3.1. Home treatments

Does it know what natural decanting looked like from 1500 to 1300 BC? If yes please cite in 1 sentence.

 

-  Please explain the PFAS and NFU acronyms. 

Author Response

The subject of drinking water treatment is very popular, a review on this topic should contain a lot of information. The reference to only 25 literature items is unacceptable. For me, this work contains too superficial information. The manuscript must be enriched before publication.

Answer: 12 new references were added

In addition:

- 2.2. History of boiling water.

“As the water after boiling had an unpleasant taste, it was customary to infuse it with herbs: tea is the best example. This led to the belief that boiling a liquid (e.g. fruit juice) produced a beverage that was "good for you". This explains why fermented beverages such as wine, mead, beer, rice juice or fermented palm juice can be found in every civilization. In Europe in the Middle Ages, when all previous work on water and its treatment had been completely forgotten, many waters were dangerous, and wine and beer were the main beverages drunk.”

I don't quite understand the jump from adding juice to water to the popularity of alcoholic beverages. Please add a linking sentence.

Answer: the paragraph has been modified, a new sentence introduced as a new reference.

“At 100°C, one 10⁶ log of bacteria or other microorganisms is killed per minute of contact.” - It would be possible to add exact information on how much time minimum the water must be boiled.

Answer; this has been done taking into account this time is liked to the initial contamination of raw water; a reference has been introduced.

-2.3.1. Home treatments

Does it know what natural decanting looked like from 1500 to 1300 BC? If yes please cite in 1 sentence.

Answer; A sentence has been introduced.

 

-  Please explain the PFAS and NFU acronyms. 

Answer; done

Thank you for your suggestions

 

 

 

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

I thoroughly enjoyed reading your article and found it to be insightful. I would like to offer some suggestions for enhancing its quality.

If feasible, I recommend incorporating a table listing various chemicals commonly found in drinking water today, particularly those with concentrations nearing alarming levels. This addition would not only provide valuable information but also serve as a practical reference for readers concerned about water quality.

I am curious to learn about the chemicals that did not exist in drinking water before the advent of industrial and pharmaceutical development.

I suggest adding a section where the authors provide their own predictions of what future water treatment technologies should look like and why. This addition would offer readers valuable insights into potential advancements in the field, as well as the reasoning behind such innovations.

 

Author Response

I thoroughly enjoyed reading your article and found it to be insightful. I would like to offer some suggestions for enhancing its quality.

Answer : thank you very much.

If feasible, I recommend incorporating a table listing various chemicals commonly found in drinking water today, particularly those with concentrations nearing alarming levels. This addition would not only provide valuable information but also serve as a practical reference for readers concerned about water quality.

Answer : This is an excellent suggestion but such a table is quite impossible to prepare because we don’t know exactly were to put the limit for avoiding any risk of cocktail effect. There is no alarming risk because the contribution of each pollutant in drinking water is low in comparison to food or other souces of human exposure. The only one possible table would incorporate the limit values from WHO or US EPA, calculated for a very limited risk. If you seems usefull to add such tabel I may do it.

I am curious to learn about the chemicals that did not exist in drinking water before the advent of industrial and pharmaceutical development.

Answer : This is also an excellent question, impossible to answer because they were no analyses performed with the same sensibility. They were some « natural » organic or mineral compound, some of them having also a toxicity and not yet eliminated like they are eliminated now by the filtration and adsoption steps.

I suggest adding a section where the authors provide their own predictions of what future water treatment technologies should look like and why. This addition would offer readers valuable insights into potential advancements in the field, as well as the reasoning behind such innovations.

Answer : I have tried to do it in an extended conclusion.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

In my opinion, the article can be published.