Drinking clean water is important for a person’s overall well-being. Yet many people overlook its importance. In fact, 60% of our body and 90% of our blood is water. With that in mind, it’s essential that we understand the importance of drinking clean water for our bodies to function normally and avoid potential health risks.
About 7.2 million Americans get ill because of the diseases spread through unclean water. Therefore, it’s necessary to take corrective measures to reduce this number, even in the United States. Many individuals aren’t aware of the different methods they can use to purify water for everyday consumption. It’s up to them to do their research and find a suitable fit for themselves.
With that said, reverse osmosis is one technique that purifies water. It does so by separating sediments and contaminants from water with the help of a partially permeable membrane (synthetic lining). Here’s what you need to know:
How Does Reverse Osmosis Work?
If you’re wondering, “how does reverse osmosis work?,” you’re not alone. In reverse osmosis, water is pushed from a high concentration of contaminants to a low concentration of contaminants using applied pressure. But it must pass through a partially permeable membrane first, where the contaminants are removed. This process removes dissolved inorganic solids, which results in purified water.
There are a total of 4 filtration stages involved in reverse osmosis.
1. A sediment filter: A sediment filter removes the largest particles such as dirt, sand, and rust. This helps prevent clogging of the following filters.
2. Pre-carbon block: A pre-carbon filter stops all unwanted particles bigger than a particle of flour from passing through.
3. Reverse osmosis membrane: Anything that weighs more than a molecule of water is removed in this step. These include dissolved minerals, fluoride, sodium, and high levels of lead.
4. Post-carbon filter: A post-carbon filter removes any unpleasant smell from the purified water, making it perfectly fine for drinking.
Benefits of Reverse Osmosis
Reverse osmosis has many benefits. One of the primary benefits is its powerful filtration system. Reverse osmosis has the ability to remove 95-99% of total dissolved solids in drinking water. Some of the unwanted chemicals that reverse osmosis gets rid of are mentioned below.
- Phosphate
- Lead
- Arsenic
- Mercury
- Fluoride
- Chloride
- Cyanide
- Ammonia
Some of these chemicals can cause health problems such as skin irritation, organ complication, and cancer. Reverse osmosis also eliminates any odors and improves the overall taste of the water.
Secondly, reverse osmosis has the ability to remove 90-95% sodium from your water. According to EPA, there should be no more than 20mg of sodium in your drinking water. If not careful, you can go over the recommended intake easily. This can cause health issues, such as heart disease and kidney problems.
Lastly, lead is one of the most common contaminants in US drinking supplies. Reverse osmosis removes lead from your water. If not taken care of, lead can prove to be deadly. Some of the health issues that lead-contaminated water can cause are blood pressure spikes, nerves, brain and muscle damage, and development issues.
Myths About Reverse Osmosis
Many people believe water purified by reverse osmosis isn’t healthy because it eliminates essential nutrients. Here are a few other common myths about reverse osmosis:
1. RO Filtration Makes the Water Acidic
Most people refuse to install reverse osmosis filtration systems at their houses because they believe the filtration lowers the pH of water, making it harmful to drink. But that’s not the case. Our body is perfectly adaptable to low pH water and can safely balance it.
2. Refrigerator Filter is Enough
While refrigerator filters have provided good quality water for families, they have some drawbacks. A refrigerator filter is a one-stage filtration process that isn’t capable of removing chlorine and other pharmaceuticals. It only has a carbon filter. On the other hand, reverse osmosis filters have four filters that remove not only contaminants but also bad smells from your water.
3. Water Softener Should do the Job
A water softener is good when it comes to removing hard water. But if your priority is to drink clean water and avoid potential health problems, a water softener isn’t enough. It doesn’t remove harmful substances and chemicals from the water. Moreover, it is also incapable of improving the taste of the water. On the other hand, a reverse osmosis filtration system does all that, making sure your health isn’t compromised.
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