Editing Boiling (section)

=== For making water potable ===
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As a method of disinfecting water, bringing it to its boiling point at {{convert|100|°C}}, is the oldest and most effective way since it does not affect the taste, it is effective despite contaminants or particles present in it, and is a single step process which eliminates most [[microbes]] responsible for causing [[intestine]] related diseases.<ref name=Oxfordjournals>{{cite journal|title=Water Disinfection for International and Wilderness Travelers|journal=Clinical Infectious Diseases|volume=34|issue=3|publisher= Oxford journals|author=Howard Backer|pages=355&ndash;364|doi=10.1086/324747|pmid=11774083|year=2002|doi-access=free}}</ref> The boiling point of water is {{convert|100|C}}  at sea level and at normal barometric pressure.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://chemed.chem.purdue.edu/genchem/topicreview/bp/ch14/melting.php|title=Melting Point, Freezing Point, Boiling Point|website=chemed.chem.purdue.edu|access-date=2019-01-11}}</ref> In places having a proper [[water purification]] system, it is recommended only as an [[Boil-water advisory|emergency treatment method]] or for obtaining potable water in the wilderness or in rural areas, as it cannot remove [[toxins|chemical toxins]] or impurities.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/emergency-disinfection-drinking-water|title=Emergency Disinfection of Drinking Water|last=US EPA|first=OW|date=2015-11-18|website=US EPA|language=en|access-date=2019-01-11}}</ref><ref name="backpackers field manual">{{cite web|url=http://www.princeton.edu/~oa/manual/water.shtml|title=OA Guide to Water Purification, The Backpacker's Field Manual|last=Curtis|first=Rick|date=March 1998}}</ref>

The elimination of micro-organisms by boiling follows [[first-order kinetics]]—at high temperatures, it is achieved in less time and at lower temperatures, in more time. The heat sensitivity of micro-organisms varies, at {{convert|70|°C}}, ''[[Giardia]]'' species (which cause [[giardiasis]]) can take ten minutes for complete inactivation, most intestine affecting microbes and ''[[Escherichia coli|E.&nbsp;coli]]'' ([[gastroenteritis]]) take less than a minute; at boiling point, ''[[Vibrio cholerae]]''  ([[cholera]]) takes ten seconds and [[hepatitis A virus]] (causes the symptom of [[jaundice]]), one minute. Boiling does not ensure the elimination of all micro-organisms; the bacterial spores ''[[Clostridium]]'' can survive at {{convert|100|°C}} but are not water-borne or intestine affecting. Thus for human health, complete [[sterilization (microbiology)|sterilization]] of water is not required.<ref name="Oxfordjournals"/>

The traditional advice of boiling water for ten minutes is mainly for additional safety, since microbes start getting eliminated at temperatures greater than {{convert|60|°C}} and bringing it to its boiling point is also a useful indication that can be seen without the help of a [[thermometer]], and by this time, the water is disinfected. Though the [[Atmospheric pressure boiling point|boiling point decreases]] with increasing altitude, it is not enough to affect the disinfecting process.<ref name="Oxfordjournals"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/emergency/drinking/making-water-safe.html|title=Making Water Safe in an Emergency|last=CDC|date=2019-09-06|website=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|language=en-us|access-date=2020-01-07}}</ref>