Everything You Need to Know About Reverse Osmosis
Reverse osmosis is commonly used to ensure that drinking water is clean and tastes good. It’s a water filtration system that many people choose in order to protect themselves from getting sick from contaminated tap water.
But while that information about reverse osmosis might be common knowledge, the complete process isn’t. And vaguely understanding reverse osmosis isn’t the same as fully comprehending it.
Do you want to understand the reverse osmosis process from start to finish?
Do you want to know the differences between reverse osmosis vs. filtration?
What about the substances that reverse osmosis removes?
We’re covering all that and more in today’s blog. Keep reading everything you need to know about reverse osmosis.
What Is Reverse Osmosis?
Reverse osmosis acts as a water filtration system by removing almost all of the contaminants in water – what’s large, small, and too small for the naked eye to see.
Reverse osmosis happens in stages, including having the water pushed through a membrane that’s specialized for the job and semi-permeable, meaning that it will allow some (but not all) molecules or ions to pass through.
The water that enters the membrane could contain dirt or other contaminants. Once the water has gone through the membrane, you’ll have clean water that you can use for anything.
How Does Reverse Osmosis Work?
Osmosis constantly happens in organisms that contain cells. It involves solvent molecules that move or diffuse in the cell, going from areas of high water potential to low water potential. Osmosis works to make both sides of the concentration equal.
Reverse osmosis is a bit different. While osmosis naturally happens passively, reverse osmosis is an active process requiring an outside force to work. In reverse osmosis, pressure is applied to a solute with a high concentration. In this case, the solution with a high concentration is your unfiltered tap water.
Another example includes saltwater. The pressure pushes the saltwater through the membrane we mentioned earlier. Once inside the membrane, the saltwater’s concentration becomes much less concentrated.
As the water is pushed through the membrane, larger contaminants are kept back, thus purifying the water. Once the process has been completed, the highly-concentrated solute and most contaminants are left on one side, while the solute/filtered water is on the other side and is ready for use.
In a reverse osmosis system, the reverse osmosis process is used to eliminate as many unwanted minerals, substances, molecules, and impurities as possible. Most systems include pre-filtration, reverse osmosis, specialty filtration, drainage, and storage. But we’ll discuss that entire process in a different blog.
How Does Reverse Osmosis Differ from Filtration?
Reverse osmosis is not the same thing as filtration. Reverse osmosis systems use a filtration process with multiple steps and include reverse osmosis in action.
Filtration can’t compare. Most filtration systems use activated carbon or a filter media, which is better than nothing but won’t help with dissolved solids, arsenic, viruses, or bacteria.
What Substances Does Reverse Osmosis Remove?
We’ve described how reverse osmosis works; now, let’s take a deeper look at what substances reverse osmosis can remove from your water. The effectiveness of your reverse osmosis system depends on how high-performing it is.
Contaminants include:
Particles
Lead
Mercury
Chromium
Total dissolved solids (TDS)
Lead
Being a heavy metal, lead is dangerous for children and adults. Kids are particularly at risk because they’re still growing, enabling the metal to affect their brains and nervous systems.
Mercury
Some levels of mercury are safe. After all, fish and shellfish expose us every time we eat them. But drinking mercury in our water isn’t good for us as it increases exposure and risk of illness.
How dangerous is mercury? It can hurt our brains, hearts, kidneys, lungs, and immune systems. It’s not for the faint of heart, so you’ll want a reverse osmosis system to keep mercury out of your water.
Chromium
Chromium comes with its own set of health risks. Long-term exposure can lead to:
Occupational asthma
Eye irritation and damage
Perforated eardrums
Respiratory irritation
Kidney damage
Liver damage
Pulmonary congestion and edema
Upper abdominal pain
Nose irritation and damage
Respiratory cancer
Skin irritation
Teeth erosion and discoloration
Total Dissolved Solids
Total dissolved solids in water aren’t necessarily harmful to you. It depends on what kind of solids there are. Generally, you’ll find minerals, salts, dissolved metals, and organic matter. It’s when your water contains high amounts of these that health risks surface.
You can measure TDS in your water to ensure your levels are safe. Your reverse osmosis filtration system will help with this!
Now, while you might swear by your reverse osmosis system, there are contaminants that reverse osmosis can’t remove – whether entirely or partially. PFOS, PFOA, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and chloramine are examples of contaminants that reverse osmosis can’t handle on its own.
These contaminants are just as dangerous as lead, mercury, or chromium, so you don’t want them in your drinking water. The solution? Many reverse osmosis systems work in tandem with other systems that can handle harsher contaminants.
Reverse osmosis is one of the most effective ways to clean your water supply. It is 100% safe and can reduce your risk of contracting illness from the contaminants we’ve discussed.
J.Mark Systems Is Your Source for Industrial Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration.
J.Mark Systems is your source for reverse osmosis systems for your industrial water supply. We offer High Purity and Water Softening RO Systems that lead in performance and compliance.
Our RO systems have been used in aerospace, electronics, automotive, power generation, petrochemical, food and beverage, pharmaceutical, and more. You can trust J.Mark Systems to provide you with a state-of-the-art water purification system that will allow everyone to safely drink water.
Ready to get started with your reverse osmosis system? J.Mark Systems is here to provide you with the perfect water filtration system for your business. Contact us today to get started.