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6 Common Questions About Reverse Osmosis Systems
Erin
Doman
Access to clean drinking water is a
fundamental human need and one which goes unfulfilled for many people around
the world.
However, illness from unsanitary water is not
limited to developing countries.
In the United States, dangerous bacteria can
enter the water supply through flooding and other natural disasters as well as
through industrial accidents.
Harmful substances, like pesticides,
herbicides and heavy metals, can find their way into our municipal drinking
water without being easily detected.
Fortunately, new technology is available that
can remove harmful matter from our drinking water.
A useful piece of water purification
technology is the reverse osmosis system, sometimes referred to as RO.
Reverse osmosis systems work by forcing water
through a series of membranes to remove various substances.
The result is safe, fresh-tasting drinking
water.
Many popular brands of bottled water use this
type of purification system.
Some bottled water manufacturers use reverse
osmosis followed by remineralization while others simply purify the water and
bottle it without remineralizing.
In-home reverse osmosis systems are also
available to provide purified water right to your kitchen tap, eliminating the
need for plastic bottles.
1. What Substances
Do Reverse Osmosis Systems Remove?
Some of the substances removed by the reverse
osmosis systems include lead, copper, sodium, cryptosporidium, calcium,
magnesium and fluoride. Each of these elements may adversely affect your health
if ingested frequently through your drinking water.
The adverse effects of lead ingestion are
well known.
Lead, like other heavy metals, builds up in
the human body and may result in neurological damage, developmental delays and
even death.
Sodium, while essential for health, might
lead to problems in people with certain medical conditions.
Cryptosporidium is a disease-causing
water-borne parasite which is resistant to chlorine.
A reverse osmosis system can protect you from
ingesting these harmful substances.
2. What Are the Health Benefits?
Removing heavy metals and other toxins from
your drinking water may protect you and your family from a number of illnesses.
If you or someone in your household is sensitive to sodium or other
naturally-occurring substances in your municipal water or is immunologically
compromised in some way, purified water can be a powerful protectant against
dangerous elements.
People with weakened immune systems, such as
those undergoing chemotherapy, may be susceptible to illness from pathogens that
would not adversely affect a relatively healthy person.
In this type of situation, the benefits of
in-home water purification systems are clear.
At any rate, the fact that purified water
often tastes better than municipal water often means that people drink more of
it when it is available, and drinking an abundance of water every day has
well-known health benefits.
3. Are There Any
Health Risks Associated With Reverse Osmosis?
Reverse osmosis systems produce clean water.
However, because they also strip away
essential minerals, there is some debate about whether or not water purified in
this way is the best choice as a source of everyday drinking water.
Calcium and magnesium, for example, are
crucial for bone health.
Although these minerals are easy to come by
in vitamin and mineral supplements or as part of a very healthy diet, many
Americans do not get adequate amounts of these minerals.
Fluoride is another hotly-debated element,
with some people advocating for its removal from municipal drinking water.
However, children who drink fluoride-enhanced
water on a regular basis are thought to have 60 percent fewer cavities than
children who drink untreated water.
Therefore, some people choose to not use a
reverse osmosis system due to a lack of sufficient mineral intake.
4. What is the
Possible Environmental Impact?
Although industrial-level reverse osmosis
systems may be more efficient than in-home versions, a certain amount of
otherwise clean water is sent straight down the drain during the process.
According to the University of Wisconsin
School of Medicine and Public Health, in-home reverse osmosis units may waste
between two and five gallons of municipal water for each gallon of purified
water produced.
This extra water flowing back into the waste
water system means a higher household water bill and taxes the waste water
treatment system.
On the other hand, having a water
purification system installed at home may significantly reduce the amount of
bottled water purchased by a household, reducing the environmental harm done by
the manufacture and disposal of plastic water bottles.
5. What Can Be
Done to Ensure the Healthiest Drinking Water Possible?
Filtering water is a good idea, especially if
you or someone in your household is at high risk for waterborne illness, or if
you know that you would otherwise buy bottled water.
A reduction in the amount of lead, pesticides
and so on entering your body is always a positive thing, and reverse osmosis is
excellent for carrying out this task.
One way you can improve the mineral content
of your drinking water is by simply remineralizing the water after it has gone
through the purification system.
Check with your system’s manufacturer to see
if a remineralization filter can be easily added to your reverse osmosis
system.
6. Is Reverse Osmosis Worth It?
If you want purified water without using an
abundance of plastic water bottles, installing a reverse-osmosis system in your
home may be a good idea, especially if you add a remineralization filter as the
final step in the purification process.
As always, if you have specific questions
about what you need or don’t need in your drinking water, consult your
healthcare professional.
If you are concerned about not getting enough
fluoride in your treated water, talk to your dentist or your child’s dentist
and ask for his or her recommendations.
When looking for the best reverse osmosis
system for your home, check the unit’s energy efficiency rating and try to find
out what percentage of the water makes its way out as purified water, and what
percentage is wasted in the process.
You can maximize the benefits you receive
from reverse osmosis-treated water by eliminating as much waste as possible,
remineralizing the water before ingesting it and making sure that you are not
wasting precious resources by demineralizing non-drinking water.
You can do this by installing your purifier
to bypass lawn sprinkler pipes, bathroom water sources and so on.
You will experience longer filter life and
less wasted water by treating only your source of drinking and cooking water.
Erin
Doman
Erin
is a native Austinite that loves writing, wikipedia, online window-shopping for
home goods, and riding on airplanes. When not writing articles at work, you can
probably find her winding down with a glass of wine, a book, and her two
favorite neurotic cats.
https://learn.allergyandair.com/reverse-osmosis-system-questions/
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