In many households in the United States, water purification devices are commonly installed at water sources to purify the water supply.
This is necessary because tap water often contains numerous chemical substances that need to be removed. Typically, a reverse osmosis (RO) water purifier is installed as part of the water treatment system.
- Principle and Advantages of Reverse Osmosis Water Purifier
- The Impact of Long-term Consumption of RO Purified Water on the Human health
- Current Status and Issues of Drinking Water Quality
- Why Installing a Water Purifier is Highly Recommended in Areas with Poor Water Quality
- The Issue of Mineral Intake from Water
1.Principles and Advantages of Reverse Osmosis (RO) Water Purifier
The RO water purifier, also known as a pure water machine, utilizes the popular international method of reverse osmosis for filtering the water (a physical process) without adding any compounds, producing clean drinking water directly suitable for human consumption.
The purified water from the RO process is fresher, more hygienic, and safer compared to bottled water.
This is because the RO membrane has a pore size of only 0.0001 micrometers, while the diameter of viruses typically ranges from 0.02 to 0.4 micrometers, and common bacteria have a diameter of 0.4 to 1 micrometer.
Thus, it effectively produces purified water.
2.The Impact of Long-Term Consumption of RO Water on Human Health
Many individuals express concerns that the RO water purifier filters out all substances in the water, which might not align with regular drinking habits,
Especially for infants and young children, who may need mineral-rich water for their well-being.
There have been debates on the health effects of drinking purified water on various search engines and forums, but most of these discussions remain theoretical, lacking experimental data to support claims.
Therefore, before determining the impact of long-term consumption of RO water on the human body, it is crucial to first understand the current water quality and the characteristics of the RO water purifier itself.
3.The Current State and Issues of Drinking Water Quality
Let us first examine the current state of drinking water quality:
Water pollution is severe in many regions, especially in rural areas where groundwater is commonly used and in cities where tap water is the primary source. However, there are also some regions that remain unpolluted.
Groundwater is often untreated and contains various impurities, such as dissolved gases, minerals, organic matter, as well as more harmful substances, including sediment, rust, calcium, magnesium ions (the main components of scale), and others. In severely polluted areas, the water is so contaminated that it is not fit for direct consumption, and villagers often have to let it settle before drinking.
In reality, they are using their bodies as filters, which ultimately harms their health.
Tap water is relatively better as it undergoes processes like coagulation, sedimentation, filtration, and chlorine disinfection. When it leaves the water plant, it complies with national tap water standards and undergoes daily monitoring and regular cleaning.
“However, problems arise during the transportation of water from the water plant to households.“
The reasons include:
From laying the pipes to the end of their lifespan, without cleaning and maintenance, the substances inside the pipes remain unknown.
To ensure tap water reaches consumers while still meeting national standards ,water companies often add excessive chlorine, which can produce side effects, such as a bleach-like taste in the water.
These are the more significant issues, along with others. If possible, it is advisable to install a RO water purifier at home. This is for the sake of health and to ensure access to clean drinking water.
4.Necessity and Advantages of Reverse Osmosis (RO) Water Purifier
Many people believe that RO water purifiers produce wastewater and consume excessive electricity. However, with technological advancements and data clarification, the issues of wastewater and electricity consumption are relative to ultrafiltration machines, and the actual expenses involved are not significant.
THE DIAGRAM OF AN RO WATER PURIFIER INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING PROCESSES FOR SINGLE WATER FLOW:
Tap water inlet——>>open low-pressure switch (water pump protection when there is a water shortage) ——>>PP filter——>> compressed activated carbon filter——>>PP cotton ——>>inlet solenoid valve——>> RO membrane (requires a booster pump to provide external force for pressurization)——>> passes through a check valve (blocks water backflow)——>>passes through a high——>>pressure switch (stops the machine when the pure water outlet pressure reaches the original set pressure of the machine, to ensure that the water pump does not work under overload conditions)——>>splits into two parts: one part goes through the post——>>activated carbon filter——>>gooseneck faucet——>>pure water outlet, while the other part enters the pressure storage tank for water storage. Even without electricity, there is still water available to drink. The other part of the wastewater from the RO membrane filter is discharged through the wastewater valve.
Features of Reverse Osmosis (RO) Water Purifier
The purpose of adding a Ro booster pump is to pressurize the water through the RO membrane. After pressurization, harmful ions such as heavy metals are carried away with the concentrated water, achieving a filtration level of one part per ten thousand micrometers and allowing pure water to pass through.
The purpose of the pressure tank is water storage.
The filtration rate of the RO membrane is relatively slow, and the output of the RO water purifier is relatively small, which might not meet the needs of users for instant water supply.
To address this issue, the pressure tank comes into play.
When users are not using water, the RO water purifier continues to work and stores the filtered pure water in the pressure tank. When users need water, the purified water is directly supplied from the pressure tank, eliminating the need to wait for the water treatment process.
5.Mineral Intake from Water
The RO water purifier not only removes impurities, rust, colloids, bacteria, and viruses, but eliminates harmful radioactive particles, organic matter, fluorescence substances, and pesticides, as well as undesirable water alkalinity and heavy metals, ensuring that when boiling water, there is no alkalinity in the water, and ensuring the health of family members.
Using RO purified water for cooking, making soup, brewing tea, and preparing coffee allows for the full breakdown of nutrients in food, making it more suitable for human absorption.
Lastly, the mineral content in water is extremely minimal, and the minerals obtained from drinking a glass of milk can make up for the minerals in several tons of water.
If given the choice between a glass of milk and a ton of water, which would you choose?
Undoubtedly, most people would choose milk. Therefore, there is no need to avoid using an RO water purifier for the sake of absorbing those trace beneficial elements, especially in heavily polluted areas.