Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment
Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment filters remove contaminants to produce clean, healthy drinking water. The process uses a prefilter, carbon filter and RO membrane to sift out sediment, chlorine and other organic material, as well as dissolved contaminants like fluoride and lead.
Reverse Osmosis has also been used to desalinate seawater and reduce high chemical contaminant levels in areas with limited water access. Here are the pros and cons of using an RO system at home.
1. It Removes Chlorine
A reverse osmosis system works by using semipermeable membranes to filter out the contaminants that are harmful to your health. Unlike standard water filters that trap contaminants inside the filter, a reverse osmosis system uses cross-filtration to send water with rejected molecules down the drain as wastewater.
First, a pre-filtration stage removes the largest particles like dirt and rust to prevent the clogging of the reverse osmosis membrane. A carbon prefilter also binds with positively charged Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment ions to prevent chemical compounds, including chlorine, from passing through.
After that, the reverse osmosis membrane separates water molecules from other impurities. It’s a synthetic plastic material that allows the passage of water molecules while holding back a majority of dissolved salts, organics and bacteria. This process is similar to the natural osmosis that occurs when plants draw nutrients from the soil through their roots. This process requires energy to push water through the reverse osmosis membrane. As the water moves through the reverse osmosis membrane, it is cleaned by a post-carbon filter that polishes and purifies the final product.
2. It Removes Fluoride
Reverse Osmosis can remove 85 to 92% of fluoride from water. This is a significant amount of fluoride, considering that the average adult should drink half of their weight in ounces every day.
Fluoride is found naturally in soil and groundwater, and it’s also added to some public drinking water supplies for preventing tooth decay. However, too much fluoride can cause joint stiffness and skeletal fluorosis.
A reverse osmosis system can filter out fluoride from your water, which will help prevent these health concerns. The RO process works by pushing water under pressure through a semipermeable membrane. This membrane blocks contaminants large and small, leaving the clean water on one side and the waste water on the other.
In addition to fluoride, a reverse osmosis system can remove chlorine, E-coli, lead, calcium and magnesium ions, nitrates, hormones and pharmaceuticals from your water. The carbon filter in a reverse osmosis system also helps to protect the membrane from chemicals and improve the taste and smell of your drinking water. This is why all high-quality RO systems include this additional filtration step.
3. It Removes Lead
Lead is a dangerous heavy metal that causes a wide range of health problems. It poisons the body in a variety of ways and especially affects young children and pregnant women, who have a harder time fighting it off. Typically, it enters drinking water through the corrosion of old pipes. It can also enter homes through newer copper pipe systems that use lead solder to connect to other pipes.
Reverse Osmosis is highly effective at removing lead from water. The process is similar to osmosis, which involves molecules passing through a semipermeable membrane from a less concentrated solution into a more concentrated one. This process requires external pressure to push water through the membrane.
When reverse osmosis is used to filter lead from water, it separates clean drinking water from contaminants and impurities. Unlike other methods of filtering, which remove contaminants by capturing them, RO membranes separate molecules and ions. This leaves pure water on the other side and rejected contaminants on the other, where they go down the drain. In order to ensure the system continues to work effectively, it must be cleaned, sanitized and recharged annually.
4. It Removes Arsenic
The smallest particles of arsenic have an ionic charge, and reverse osmosis systems eliminate it along with other contaminants. These include nitrates, fluoride, pesticides, lead, bacteria and pharmaceuticals. In addition, RO systems also remove chloride and balance the alkalinity in drinking water. The reject water is usually discharged into a septic system, but for larger point-of-entry systems, it can be used to irrigate gardens or lawns.
Arsenic can enter the environment and the water supply from natural processes like volcanic eruptions or weathering of arsenic-containing rocks. However, human activities including mining, metal smelting and the use of arsenic as fungicides and wood preservatives can also contribute to its presence in water supplies.
Reverse Osmosis is an effective way to reduce the amount of arsenic in your home’s drinking water. It is a cost-effective, simple to install under sink solution that provides better-than-bottled-water quality for pennies per gallon. You can cancel your water delivery service and stop buying cases of bottled water. You’ll also save money on energy and other utility costs while you enjoy healthy, clean water that tastes great.
5. It Removes Other Contaminants
Reverse osmosis is the most effective method for removing many contaminates that are not removed by carbon filters alone. These include chlorine, lead and dissolved solids like sodium. These dissolved solids reduce the pH of the water which can make it acidic and potentially corrode pipes in your home.
Removing these dissolved solids and minerals is important because it lowers Filling Machine Supplier disease potential of the water. This can be particularly important for those with weakened immune systems.
Depending on the system and filter used, reverse osmosis can remove other contaminants like fluoride, arsenic and asbestos. A whole-home RO filtration system (known as a POE or point of entry system) ties into the main water line coming into the home and allows you to have RO filtered drinking water at every faucet in the house.
The process works by pushing tap water through a series of filters that each target different types of contaminants. The clean water goes to a holding tank while the rejected contaminants are flushed down the drain. The resulting water is cleaner and purer than standard tap water.