Recently, we were asked what Hyacinth is and whether it can purify water. Recently, certain “ultramodern” water purification products have gained popularity, which supposedly can be added directly to water for purification. Let’s take a closer look at how they work and whether they are suitable for household water treatment.

On the manufacturer’s website, Hyacinth or "Eco-matrix" is referred to as a coagulant for the purification of conditionally potable water. It is said to cleanse and disinfect water. Visually, the substance appears as a clear liquid.

What are coagulants?

Coagulants are inorganic salts that, due to electrostatic attraction forces, cause fine colloidal (suspended) particles in water to clump together and settle faster. The result of coagulant action is a reduction in turbidity and color of water. Additionally, they help remove some heavy metals and other impurities.

Previously, we described in detail how coagulants work.

The most commonly used reagents are aluminum and iron sulfates or chlorides.

Composition of the "Hyacinth" coagulant (eco-matrix)

According to the Hyacinth website, the coagulant is an analog of natural clay. While natural clay does possess some coagulation properties and contains aluminosilicates, it is not effective enough for high-quality water purification. This means we need to determine what actual coagulant is present in this product. Below are documents indicating its composition.

Can water be purified with hyacinth?

Yes, this coagulant is suitable for treating household water, but when it comes to drinking water, there are many concerns.

Aluminum, the main component of this coagulant, is a toxic metal. The biggest concern is neurotoxicity, with drinking water being a primary source of exposure.

A 2008 certificate for Hyacinth states that aluminum compounds (expressed as aluminum oxide) should be present at a concentration of less than 3% (30 g/L), which translates to approximately 8 g/L of aluminum (8000 mg/L). This is the only information we could find about its composition.

The maximum allowable concentration (MAC) of aluminum salts in drinking water is 0.2 mg/L. At municipal water treatment plants, coagulant use is strictly controlled, yet even in some samples of tap water in Kyiv, aluminum levels exceed the MAC.

During water treatment, coagulant precipitates, but without laboratory analysis, there is no way to know how much aluminum remains in the water.

Let’s see what the manufacturer recommends:

• 1 mL of coagulant per 1 L of water
• This adds 8 mg of aluminum per liter of water

The amount of aluminum you end up consuming depends on:

• Initial water turbidity
• Organic content
• Alkalinity of the water

Outside a laboratory setting, these factors cannot be measured, nor can the quality of the treated water be assessed. Remember: the safe limit for aluminum in water is 0.2 mg/L.

Using coagulants for home drinking water purification is not only ineffective but may also pose health risks. We strongly advise against using coagulants for treating tap water, as it has already undergone coagulation at the water treatment facility.

If you decide to use this coagulant for water from open reservoirs, be sure to:

1. Filter the water after treatment through a sand or cotton filter
2. Boil the water, since coagulants do not disinfect it

Other uses

The manufacturer also promotes other “miracle properties” of Hyacinth:

• Healing wounds and burns
• Treating poisoning, otitis, and insect bites
• Deodorizing properties

Using aluminum salts for medical purposes is potentially dangerous, as they do not have antibacterial or wound-healing effects and may even increase infection risk.

However, using Hyacinth as a body deodorant is one of the few justified applications. Despite ongoing debates about the safety of aluminum salts in antiperspirants, there is limited scientific evidence proving their harmful effects.