ing ▁st raw , ▁and ▁filters ▁up ▁to ▁ 4 0 0 0 ▁lit res ▁of ▁water . ▁While ▁the ▁initial ▁model ▁of ▁the ▁filter ▁did ▁not ▁remove ▁Gi ard ia ▁l amb lia , ▁Life St raw ▁now ▁removes ▁a ▁minimum ▁of ▁▁ 9 9 . 9 9 9 % ▁of ▁water bor ne ▁proto zo an ▁par as ites ▁including ▁Gi ard ia ▁and ▁C rypt os por id ium . ▁The ▁original ▁Life St raw ▁doesn ' t ▁filter ▁vir uses , ▁chemical s , ▁salt ▁water , ▁and ▁heavy ▁met als .. ▁However , ▁the ▁newer ▁Life St raw ▁products ▁( like ▁Life St raw ▁F lex ▁or ▁Life St raw ▁Home ▁) ▁are ▁capable ▁of ▁removing ▁chemical s ▁and ▁heavy ▁met als ▁including ▁lead . ▁ ▁Crit ical ▁response ▁Life St raw ▁has ▁been ▁generally ▁pra ised ▁for ▁its ▁effective ▁and ▁quick ▁method ▁of ▁b acter ia ▁and ▁proto zo a ▁removal ▁and ▁consumer ▁accept ability . ▁ ▁Although ▁Life St raw ▁is ▁available ▁for ▁ret ail ▁sale ▁in ▁the ▁developed ▁world , ▁ ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁Life St raw ▁are ▁distributed ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁public ▁health ▁campaign s ▁or ▁in ▁response ▁to ▁complex ▁emer gen cies ▁by ▁N GO s ▁and ▁organizations ▁that ▁give ▁them ▁away ▁for ▁free ▁in ▁the ▁developing ▁world . ▁ ▁Life St raw ▁has ▁been ▁pra ised ▁in ▁the ▁international ▁media ▁and ▁won ▁several ▁awards ▁including ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁Sa atch i ▁& ▁Sa atch i ▁Award ▁for ▁World ▁Ch