Reverse osmosis is exactly the technology that will protect you from the harmful effects of lead, heavy metals, chlorine, chemical impurities, pesticides, pathogens, bacteria, viruses, and even radioactive materials. We invite you to get acquainted with the principles of its work and check the veracity of common myths about it.
Danger of tap water
Clean water is one of the most important needs of our body. This is a sad fact, because a modern person has practically no access to it, especially when it comes to industrialized regions. This issue has been raised to the global level. The data of numerous studies state that neither tap nor well water is now suitable for drinking because of their severe pollution, rivers, lakes, and wells are poisoned.
Of course, the contaminants are not at a level that can cause poisoning or other side effects instantly. However, as they accumulate over time, they can lead to the development of serious diseases. Even the chemicals used in urban plumbing systems, such as chlorine and fluorine, are toxic.
The only way to protect yourself and loved ones is water purification. Reverse osmosis is considered one of the most effective and convenient ways to do this at the moment. Filtration is carried out by passing liquid through a semi-permeable membrane, the thickness of the cells of which is 0.0001 microns (approximately 0.00001 mm).
This technology is used to create bottled and desalination sea water. And in recent decades there have been domestic reverse osmosis systems, which an increasing number of people decide to install in their apartments. Compact dimensions, reasonable price and excellent cleaning quality speak in favor of this filtration method. All this makes such devices simply indispensable in urban apartments. Let's take a look at how a reverse osmosis system works.
What is it and how does it work?
Reverse osmosis technology is also known as industrial ultrafiltration. It was developed in the United States in the 1950s as part of a government-funded seawater desalination program. Today, this method is considered one of the most convenient and effective methods of filtering. It is used in many industries that require ultra-purified water in their work, as well as in everyday life.
The principle of operation of the reverse osmosis system is the passage of water molecules through a semi-permeable membrane under pressure. The body of the reverse osmosis membrane consists of sheets pressed against each other and wrapped around a hollow central tube. Such a configuration is usually called a spiral or modular. It is available in various sizes, on which the performance of the system depends:
- home appliances have small modules 5 cm in diameter and 25 cm long;
- industrial - respectively 10 cm and 100 cm.
These membranes are placed in special containers called reverse osmosis membrane housings. They allow you to maintain the necessary pressure over the entire surface. It is it that is the driving force that forces the liquid to pass through the membrane that separates unwanted impurities.
The most simplified reverse osmosis scheme is shown below.
Reverse osmosis has another amazing property: the filtered substances are automatically sent to the sewer drain, without accumulating in the system, as with conventional filtration. Any harmful impurities are carried away in parts.This fact is the reason why the reverse osmosis membrane does not need to be replaced for several years of operation.
Purification stages
The principle of operation of the reverse osmosis method is embodied in three stages:
- Pretreatment of water. Occurs in large vertical flasks. In the figure below, they are numbered 3, 4, 5.
- passage through the membrane. The body of the reverse osmosis membrane (horizontal flask) is marked with the number 7.
- post cleaning stage. The flask is numbered 12.
Reverse osmosis connection diagram - in the figure below.
Water that has passed the pre-treatment stage enters a semi-permeable membrane, where it is divided into two streams: one passes through the membrane and is cleaned, the second washes it from the outside and, with all the contaminants rejected by the membrane, is drained into the drain. The reverse osmosis water purification system does not work quickly, so the liquid that has passed through the membrane accumulates in a special tank (No. 11 in the figure), from where it enters the post-treatment. At this stage of water filtration, additional purification from odors and / or mineralization takes place.
An excellent representative is Atoll A-550 filter, it removes up to 99.9% of all impurities contained in water and prevents the formation of scale in heating appliances.
Advantages:
- Significantly saves space: the drinking tank is also installed inside the housing.
- The filter is easy to keep clean when it is installed under the kitchen sink: dirt does not get on the structural elements of the system, there are no protruding elements and protruding connecting tubes.
- The folding case provides convenient access to details and replaceable elements.
- The standard of “inline” cartridges, which is widespread in the world, allows the use of analogues of Atoll filter elements in a wide range, for example, manufactured by Omnipure (USA) or Pentek (USA).
- The inline cartridges are encapsulated in a plastic case and have quick-release connections, so the procedure for replacing them is hygienic (no contact with contaminated surfaces) and simple (no special tools required).
- Built-in purified water quality control system signals the need to replace the membrane element
Reverse osmosis myths
There are many myths around the reverse osmosis system.
Myth #1
Reverse osmosis washes away the minerals our body needs.
Undoubtedly, tap water contains a small amount of minerals, but their proportion is so small that it simply cannot have any effect on health. For example, there are more of them in a glass of orange juice than in a whole bath of crude liquid. On the contrary, it contains only inorganic compounds that are not digested by the body, as well as heavy metals, many of which are toxic or even radioactive. While he prefers organic minerals and trace elements, which can only be obtained from a daily balanced diet. Reverse osmosis removes inorganic minerals, metals and more to provide you with the purest, healthiest and most natural drinking water.
Myth #2
Lots of waste water.
Yes, based on the principle of reverse osmosis, a certain amount of rinsing water is used to clean and flush the membrane from the pollutants filtered by it. This complex process allows you not to change the expensive membrane for several years. It also keeps the entire system clean as most contaminants drain down the drain instead of being trapped inside the filter housing. At the same time, wastewater is clean enough, it can be collected and used for watering plants, household cleaning activities.
Myth #3
Five- and ten-micron pre-filters are not needed by anyone, because the membrane thickness is less than 1 micron.
The fact is that the membrane is very sensitive to chlorine, iron and organic impurities. During mechanical cleaning, their volumes are reduced to acceptable levels.
Myth #4
Such water is absolutely tasteless, inanimate.
As for taste, this is a very controversial issue. If you compare it with tap water, which has a bright aftertaste of bleach, then it really has no taste. If well is meant, then it is usually enriched with minerals lying under the surface and has a subtle metallic aftertaste. Experts say that the filter, which works on the principle of reverse osmosis, gives the liquid a taste similar to the taste of melted glacial water. This is due to the use of a carbon filter at one of the cleaning stages.
Whether or not to purchase the described filtration system for your apartment is solely your decision. However, remember that it has been around for more than 60 years, remaining all these years an effective method of cleaning, the popularity of which no myths can reduce.
