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14 Harmful Elements Reverse Osmosis Remove From Water

Water is one of the elements in the absence of which life would not be possible on Earth. Although tap water is drinkable, it may run through old pipes and accumulate all sorts of dangerous particles.

An important number of harmful contaminants are difficult to detect. They are insipid, odorless, and colorless. You may have no idea what bacteria, viruses, and chemicals end up in your glass.

Reverse Osmosis System is the perfect and cheapest solution to remove those harmful elements. It can eliminate more than 98% of the organic and inorganic impurities present in water. These include chlorine, lead, iron, nitrates, cadmium, pesticides, turbidity, sediments, antibiotics, detergents, trihalomethanes, radon, and industrial waste.

Lead

The level of lead in the surrounding environment has increased more than 1000 times in the past 300 years. The most alarming rise occurred between 1950 and 2000 because of the extended use of lead fuels.

This element brings no benefits to the human body, and it is toxic even in small quantities. Old lead pipes are the primary culprits in the case of lead infested tap water.

According to The World Health Organization, the concentration of lead in water should not exceed that value of 0.010 mg/l.

An ample study on lead in drinking water took place in Germany between 2001 and 2009. The researchers gathered 2,901 water samples from households for two years. Out of these, 75% exceeded the 0.010 mg/l recommended by the WHO.

Dana Best, a pediatrician at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, claims that lead intoxication in children is still an actual problem. Contaminated water is the source of numerous health conditions.

After inhalation or ingestion, lead arrives in your blood and organs. A substantial quantity is deposited in the bones. Lead absorption depends on the person’s age, time passed from the last meal, consumed food and on the health of the digestive system.

The children are the most exposed because their organism absorbs 50 % of the ingested quantity. The percentage plummets to 6% in the case of grownups.

Lead intoxication or saturnism is a severe threat to human health. Early symptoms include:

fatigue and irritability
sleeping disorders
aggressive behaviour
stomach aches
constipation

Long term consequences may be severe and irreversible:

slow intellectual development
the decline of renal function
total loss of hearing

Prolonged exposure to lead can affect all human organs and systems. The most frequent complications include:

anaemia
high blood pressure
reduced fertility
increased risk of miscarriage or premature birth
antenatal lead intoxication

Recent researches have pointed out that even exposure to tolerable amounts of lead (around 10µg/dL) might be harmful to both adults and children.

Chemical Element of Mendeleev’s Periodic Table

Aaron Reuben from Duke University in Durham, USA studied individuals exposed to lead during childhood. The results pointed out lower IQ levels and higher tendencies to display aggressive behavior.

Lead causes the degeneration of nerve cells and has different effects on children and adults. The kids experience a deterioration of the central nervous system. Grownups have problems with the peripheral nervous system.nervous system.

Arsenic

Both arsenic and lead belong to the category of xenobiotics. These are chemical substances which have no value for a living organism. On the contrary, they are destructive and lethal.

The arsenic gets in the human organism via food and water. It does not have a specific smell or taste.

Long term ingestion of inorganic arsenic is responsible for:

skin lesions
cancer
developmental toxicity
heart diseases
abnormal metabolism of glucose
diabetes

Arsenicosis occurs when the human has accumulated too much arsenic from water or other sources. The specific symptomatology includes nausea, abdominal cramps, diarrhoea, dark coloured urine, dehydration, delirium, and hemolysis. Untraded intoxication ends in death.

In 2012, The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine coordinated a study in Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia. The English specialists found solid proofs that prolonged exposure to arsenic in drinking water triggers basal cell carcinoma. This is the most common form of skin cancer.

The best remedy against arsenic intoxication is to avoid the consumption of polluted water. This element can form numerous compounds which cumber the filtration process.

Keep in mind that different arsenic compounds need different techniques when filtered. Reverse osmosis systems solve this problem due to their special membrane and number of filters.

Chromium-6

Made famous in 2000 due to the award-winning movie “Erin Brockovich”, Chromium-6 is another carcinogenic metallic element.

Doctors warn us about the difference between chromium-3 and chromium-6.

Chromium-3 is the most abundant type of chromium in nature. This element plays an essential part in the metabolism of type 2 glucose. Its other health benefits have put it on the list of non-toxic elements.

Chromium-6 is the most worrisome type of chromium because of its toxicity. Most tissues absorb it fast and the accidental or intended ingestion of Cr6+ provokes severe intoxication. The patient vomits, has gastrointestinal lesions, and digestive hemorrhage.

Chromium-6 is very dangerous for pregnant women and may cause risky situation during birth. Scientists suspect that the substance triggers ulcer, edema, liver malfunctions, and reproductive issues.

Hydrogen Sulfide

Water infested with hydrogen sulfide has the unpleasant smell of rotten eggs. You should not consume it because it endangers your health.

Keep in mind that certain bacteria transform sulfates in water into hydrogen sulfide. This is an inorganic gaseous acid. It is colorless, and it becomes toxic in high concentrations.

Bacteria, which live in little oxygenated water, are the most common sources of hydrogen sulfide in:

deep wells
pipes
water heating devices

Other sources of hydrogen sulfide are organic matters in decomposition and wells dug in shale or hone.

According to sanitary regulations, the maximum amount of hydrogen sulfide in drinking water should be of 0,002 mg.

Copper

As copper pipes age, they release this element in drinking water. Copper is good for your health but not when it comes from old tubes.

Excessive intake is the source of:

insomnia
tinnitus
headaches
anemia
liver associated disease
nausea

Copper intoxication is rare but possible. To avoid it, do not consume liquids stored in recipients that have this element in their composition. Plus, make sure that you have a reverse osmosis system.

You cannot control the whole water delivering system, but you can supervise what happens in your house.

Chlorine and Chlorides

Chlorineis a chemical element present in nature and the human body. Our organism can tolerate a certain amount of chlorine. When this quantity increases too much, it becomes toxic for both humans and animals.

People use this substance to disinfect drinking water and swimming pools because it prevents the development of E-coli and Giardia. Statistics and studies pointed out its dark side. According to them, increased chlorine in water is among the top agents responsible for colon cancer.

A significant concentration of chorine and chlorides in water causes:

premature skin aging
acne, hives, and rashes
an unhealthy aspect of nails
dry hair
stomach burns

Inhaled chlorine is more dangerous because the toxins get into your blood in no time. In this case, prolonged exposure may end in asthma, sore throat, and other respiratory diseases.

Chlorine intoxication is possible, and its effects vary from one individual to another. The most frequent symptoms are stomach aches, difficulty to breath, throat inflammation, thoracic pains, and vomiting.

Nitrates

Nitrates are natural components of soil and part of the nitrogen cycle. Once ingested, nitrates turn into nitrites. These have higher toxicity, following the contact with the stomach bacterial microflora.

If your organism accumulates too many nitrates, the following may occur:

hypertension
malfunction of the circulatory system
headaches
rashes
severe cyanosis
cancer

New-born babies are the most vulnerable because their mycobacterial flora is not strong enough to fight against nitrates. The little ones have to face rashes, irritations, and infectious diarrhea.

More dangerous is the blue baby disease. The amount of oxygen in the blood decrease, breathing becomes problematic, and the brain might suffer lesions.

You can get rid of nitrates by boiling water. On the contrary, this process boosts concentration. To provide your baby with clear and fresh water, you need powerful filters which remove impurities.

Fluoride

We have been told for decades that fluoride is good for our body, mainly for our teeth. Fluoride strengthens tooth enamel which means fewer cavities. The substance got into tap water to ensure the daily intake of fluoride for everybody.

The belief in the magical properties of fluoride started to shatter in 2012. Scientists belonging to Harvard University revealed that there was a direct connection between high fluoride consumption and low intellectual abilities.

When your body accumulates too much fluoride, it becomes toxic even lethal for your organism. The risk is the highest for babies and children because their hard tissues retain 90% of the ingested quantity. The percentage drops to 50% in adolescents and is lower in adults.

One of the most common affections related to excessive fluoride levels is dental fluorosis. Its mild symptoms include teeth staining. Severe cases lead to dystrophy and loss of tooth enamel.

Other conditions associated with high fluoride intake include:

malfunction of the thyroid and parathyroid
metabolism disorders
magnesium loss
reduced melatonin secretion
calcification of the pineal gland

The World Health Organization considers that fluoride poisoning can have dramatic consequences on human bones, muscles, and joints.

A qualitative reverse osmosis system has a membrane which hinders the passage of this element.

Iron

If iron in water has tolerable concentrations, it does not represent peril for your body. Maximum levels and beyond give water a metallic taste and damage household items.

Iron stains in red and brown your tap, toilet, and clothes. Bacteria which thrive on this element are not pathogenic. Unfortunately, they smudge your washbasin or toilet with reddish or brownish secretions. These might block your plumbs.

Abnormal iron levels might ruin all appliances, water heaters included. Long term bathing in iron infested water may cause hair loss and skin dryness. Blond hair might even get an unattractive orange shade.

Bacteria

Water treatment plants eliminate most of these bacteria, but there is a long way to your tap. A qualitative reverse osmosis system prevents the infestation of water with:

Escherichia Coli or E.Coli is a bacteria which can have a severe impact on the human body. It causes urinary infection, gastroenteritis, and septic shock.

Salmonella is very dangerous for children and senior citizens. It provokes food poisoning.

Rotifer is not threatening, but it has an unpleasant aesthetic effect. It is large enough to be visible.

Naegleria is responsible for the development of meningoencephalitis.

Legionella lives in running waters and ponds. It is the culprit for the legionary’s disease, which has symptoms similar to the flu. In advanced stages, the sufferer has stomach aches, diarrhea, nausea, and respiratory decompensation. The most exposed are children up to 12 years and senior citizens.

Cyanobacteria produce cyanotoxins which are harmful to humans and animals. Intoxication might take the form of hay fever. More severe symptoms include loss of breath and stomach aches.

Uranium

This heavy element is present all around us in tiny amounts. You can find it in living organisms, soil, and water stream which run underground.

Most uranium that gets in the human body ends up eliminated in a natural way. The rest enters the blood, and it is carried to the heart, liver, and other organs.

Uranium in drinking water may come from radioactive industrial waste deposited carelessly. The element has a powerful negative impact on kidneys.

In 2017, two scientists from the Bochum University in Germany published the results of their study on uranium, tap water, and human health. They identified a certain correlation between the ingestion of uranium-contaminated water and the occurrence of tumours and liver illnesses.

The research, conducted in Bavaria, pointed out the increased incidence of thyroid diseases among people who consumed uranium polluted water.

Glyphosate

This herbicide a wide use in agriculture because it kills weeds and increases crop yield. At present, there is a heated debate between the advocates and opponents of glyphosate.

The later take into consideration the 2015 study on glyphosate made by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. The institution claims that the substance has high chances of triggering cancer in humans.

The IACR scientists consider the chemical responsible for human cell damages and hormonal changes. Another important international entity (the World Health Organization) considers that glyphosate affects human DNA. It also assumes that the herbicide might have a negative impact on fertility, hormonal system, and gastrointestinal tract.

Until further research, you can protect your household with RO systems. You will have clean water for drinking, cooking, and washing.

PFAS

PFAS means perfluoroalkyl synthetic chemicals, appreciated for their water and oil resistant characteristics. Their use is widespread, and you can find them even in food wrappers.

If you live close to an industrial facility which uses and disposes of pfas, there are high chances to have contaminated tap water. Boiling does not affect these chemicals. To eliminate health risk use water from reliable sources or powerful filtering systems.

Almost all people living in developed or developing areas have a certain amount of pfas in their blood. The problems occur when the concentration exceeds the bearable limit. It this case, individuals might experience:

fertility issues, mainly in women
hormonal imbalances
high cholesterol levels
weakened immune system
cancer development

Scientists are still performing studies to understand the full spectrum of effects that PFAS have on humans and animals.

Microplastics

These are small particles which have less than 5 mm. Their number is increasing rapidly in all water sources around the globe.

In 2017, the UN estimated that there were around 51 trillion plastic particles in seas and oceans. Fish swallow them, and they arrive in your plate when you order a marine dish. The synthetic grains are present in food, beer, honey, and tap water.

For the time being, the researchers do not know their specific effects on human health. Plastic has in its composition stabilizers, flame retardant substances, and other chemicals which are harmful when ingested.

Whatever the outcome of official studies, nobody wants tiny pieces of plastic floating in one’s glass.