INTRODUCTION

Reverse osmosis is a water purification technology that uses a semi permeable membrane to
remove ions, molecules, and larger particles from drinking water. In reverse osmosis, an applied
pressure is used to overcome osmotic pressure, a colligative property, that is driven by chemical
potential differences of the solvent, a thermodynamic parameter. Reverse osmosis can remove
many types of dissolved and suspended species from water, including bacteria, and is used in
both industrial processes and the production of potable water. The result is that the solute is
retained on the pressurized side of the membrane and the pure solvent is allowed to pass to the
other side. To be "selective", this membrane should not allow large molecules or ions through the
pores, but should allow smaller components of the solution such as solvent molecules to pass
freely.
In the normal osmosis process, the solvent naturally moves from an area of low solute
concentration (high water potential), through a membrane, to an area of high solute concentration
(low water potential). The driving force for the movement of the solvent is the reduction in the
free energy of the system when the difference in solvent concentration on either side of a
membrane is reduced, generating osmotic pressure due to the solvent moving into the more
concentrated solution. Applying an external pressure to reverse the natural flow of pure solvent,
thus, is reverse osmosis. The process is similar to other membrane technology applications.
However, key differences are found between reverse osmosis and filtration. The predominant
removal mechanism in membrane filtration is straining, or size exclusion, so the process can
theoretically achieve perfect efficiency regardless of parameters such as the solution's pressure
and concentration. Reverse osmosis also involves diffusion, making the process dependent on
pressure, flow rate, and other conditions. Reverse osmosis is most commonly known for its use
in drinking water purification from seawater, removing the salt and other effluent materials from
the water molecules.
Reverse Osmosis works by using a high pressure pump to increase the pressure on the salt side
of the RO and force the water across the semi-permeable RO membrane, leaving almost all
(around 95% to 99%) of dissolved salts behind in the reject stream. The amount of pressure

required depends on the salt concentration of the feed water. The more concentrated the feed
water, the more pressure is required to overcome the osmotic pressure.
The desalinated water that is demineralized or deionized, is called permeate (or product) water.
The water stream that carries the concentrated contaminants that did not pass through the RO
membrane is called the reject (or concentrate) stream.
As the feed water enters the RO membrane under pressure (enough pressure to overcome
osmotic pressure) the water molecules pass through the semi-permeable membrane and the salts
and other contaminants are not allowed to pass and are discharged through the reject stream (also
known as the concentrate or brine stream), which goes to drain or can be fed back into the feed
water supply in some circumstances to be recycled through the RO system to save water. The
water that makes it through the RO membrane is called permeate or product water and usually
has around 95% to 99% of the dissolved salts removed from it.
It is important to understand that an RO system employs cross filtration rather than standard
filtration where the contaminants are collected within the filter media. With cross filtration, the
solution passes through the filter, or crosses the filter, with two outlets: the filtered water goes
one way and the contaminated water goes another way. To avoid build up of contaminants, cross
flow filtration allows water to sweep away contaminant build up and also allow enough
turbulence to keep the membrane surface clean.

BASIC COMPONENTS OF A REVERSE OSMOSIS SYSTEM

1. Cold Water Line Valve: Valve that fits onto the cold water supply line. The valve has a
tube that attaches to the inlet side of the RO pre filter. This is the water source for the RO
system.
2. Pre-Filter(s): Water from the cold water supply line enters the Reverse Osmosis Pre
Filter first. There may be more than one pre-filter used in a Reverse Osmosis system, the
most common being sediment and carbon filters. These pre-filters are used to PROTECT
the RO membranes by removing sand silt, dirt, and other sediment that could clog the
system. Additionally, carbon filters may be used to remove chlorine, which can damage
the RO membranes.
3. Reverse Osmosis Membrane: The Reverse Osmosis Membrane is the heart of the
system. The semipermeable RO membrane is designed to remove a wide variety of both
aesthetic and health-related contaminants. After passing through the membrane, the water
goes into a pressurized storage tank where treated water is stored.
4. Storage Tank: The standard RO storage tank holds from 2 - 4 gallons of water. A bladder
inside the tank keeps water pressurized in the tank when it is full. The typical under
counter Reverse Osmosis tank is 12 inches in diameter and 15 inches tall.
5. Post filter(s): After the water leaves the RO storage tank, but before going to the RO
faucet, the treated water goes through a final post filter. The post filter is usually a
carbon filter. Any remaining tastes or odors are removed from the product water by post
filtration polishing filter.
6. Automatic Shut Off Valve (SOV): To conserve water, the RO system has an automatic
shut off valve. When the storage tank is full, the automatic shut off valve closes to stop
any more water from entering the membrane and blocks flow to the drain. Once water is
drawn from the RO faucet, the pressure in the tank drops; the shut off valve then opens to
send the drinking water through the membrane while the contaminated wastewater is
diverted down the drain.

7. Check Valve: A check valve is located in the outlet end of the RO membrane housing.
The check valve prevents the backward flow of treated water from the RO storage tank. A
backward flow could rupture the RO membrane.
8. Flow Restrictor: Water flowing through the RO membrane is regulated by a flow
restrictor. There are many different styles of flow controls, but their common purpose is
to maintain the flow rate required to obtain the highest quality drinking water (based on
the gallon capacity of the membrane). The flow restrictor also helps maintain pressure on
the inlet side of the membrane. Without the additional pressure from the flow control,
very little drinking water would be produced because all the incoming water would take
the path of least resistance and simply flow down the drain line. The flow control is most
often located in the RO drain line tubing.
9. Faucet: The RO unit uses its own faucet, which is usually installed on the kitchen sink.
Some areas have plumbing regulations requiring an air gap faucet, but non-air gap
models are more common
10. Drain line: This line runs from the outlet end of the Reverse Osmosis membrane housing
to the drain. The drain line is used to dispose of the wastewater containing the impurities
and contaminants that have been filtered out by the reverse osmosis membrane.

Diagram of a Reverse Osmosis System with Basic Components

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REVERSE OSMOSIS PROCESS

In the reverse osmosis process a cellophane-like membrane separates purified water from
contaminated water. An understanding of osmosis is needed before further describing RO.
Osmosis occurs when two solutions containing different quantities of dissolved chemicals are
separated by a semi permeable membrane allowing only some compounds to pass through.
Osmotic pressure of the dissolved chemical causes pure water to pass through the membrane
from the dilute to the more concentrated solution. There is a natural tendency for chemicals to
reach equal concentrations on both sides of the membrane.

In reverse osmosis, water pressure applied to the concentrated side forces the process of osmosis
into reverse. Under enough pressure, pure water is "squeezed" through the membrane from the
concentrated to the dilute side. Salts dissolved in water as charged ions are repelled by the RO
membrane. Treated water is collected in a storage container. The rejected impurities on the
concentrated side of the membrane are washed away in a stream of wastewater, not accumulated
as on a traditional filter.

The RO membrane also functions as an ultrafiltration device, screening out particles, including
microorganisms that are physically too large to pass through the membranes pores. RO
membranes can remove compounds in the 0.0001 to 0.1 micron size range (thousands of times
smaller than a human hair).

There are generally four stages in reverse osmosis process:

1. Sediment Filter:
This pre-filter stage is designed to strain out sediment, silt, and dirt and is especially important as
the sediment filter protects dirt from getting to the delicate RO membranes that can be damaged
by sediment.
2. Carbon Filter:
The carbon filter is designed to remove chlorine and other contaminants that affect the
performance and life of the RO membrane as well as improve the taste and odor of your water.
3. Reverse Osmosis Membrane:
The semipermeable RO membrane in your RO system is designed to allow water through, but
filter out almost all additional contaminants.
4. Polishing Filter:
In a four-stage RO System, a final post filter (carbon filter) will polish off the water to remove
any remaining taste and odor in the water. This final filter ensures youll have outstanding
drinking water.

ISSUE ON REVERSE OSMOSIS

Reverse Osmosis will generally remove salt, manganese, iron, flouride, lead, and calcium. Most
mineral constituents of water are physically larger than water molecules and they are trapped by
the semi-permeable membrane and removed from drinking water when filtered through a RO.
Meanwhile, consumers are concerned about the removal of minerals from their drinking water.
Reverse Osmosis (RO) removed more than 90-99.99% of all the contaminants including
minerals from the drinking water supply. RO removes minerals because they have larger
molecules than water. The subject of minerals and RO created controversy and disagreement
among water and health professionals. The World Health Organization (WHO) made
clarification that majority of healthy minerals are needed for human body is from food or dietary
supplementary sources and not from drinking tap water. In addition, minerals found in water can
be harmful to human health. The evidence is strong that calcium and magnesium are essential
elements for human body. However, it is a weak argument to suggest that we should make up
this deficiency through water consumption. Tap water presents a variety of inorganic minerals
which human body has difficulty absorbing. Their presence is suspect in a wide array of
degenerative diseases, such as hardening of the arteries, arthritis, kidney stones, gall stones,
glaucoma, cataracts, hearing loss, emphysema, diabetes, and obesity. What minerals are
available, especially in "hard" tap water, are poorly absorbed, or rejected by cellular tissue sites,
and, if not evacuated, their presence may cause arterial obstruction, and internal damage.
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Calcium and magnesium are both essential elements. Calcium is a substantial component of
bones and teeth. In addition, it plays a role in neuromuscular excitability, the proper function of
the conducting myocardial system, heart and muscle contractility, intracellular information
transmission and the coagulability of blood. Magnesium plays an important role as a cofactor
and activator of more than 300 enzymatic reactions including glycolysis, ATP metabolism,
transport of elements such as sodium, potassium, and calcium through membranes, synthesis of
proteins and nucleic acids, neuromuscular excitability and muscle contraction.
Although drinking water is not the major source of our calcium and magnesium intake, the health
significance of supplemental intake of these elements from drinking water may outweigh its
nutritional contribution expressed as the proportion of the total daily intake of these elements.
Even in industrialized countries, diets not deficient in terms of the quantity of calcium and
magnesium, may not be able to fully compensate for the absence of calcium and, in particular,
magnesium, in drinking water.
Although drinking water, with some rare exceptions, is not the major source of essential
elements for humans, its contribution may be important for several reasons. The modern diet of
many people may not be an adequate source of minerals and microelements. In the case of
borderline deficiency of a given element, even the relatively low intake of the element with
drinking water may play a relevant protective role. This is because the elements are usually
present in water as free ions and therefore, are more readily absorbed from water compared to
food where they are mostly bound to other substances.
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Since the early 1960's, epidemiological studies in many countries all over the world have
reported that water low in calcium and magnesium is associated with increased morbidity and
mortality from cardiovascular disease.
Recent studies also suggest that the intake of water low in calcium (reverse osmosis water), may
be associated with higher risk of fracture in children (Verd Vallespir et al. 1992), certain
neurodegenerative diseases (Jacqmin et al. 1994), pre-term birth and low weight at birth (Yang et
al. 2002) and some types of cancer (Yang et al. 1997; Yang et al. 1998). In addition to an
increased risk of sudden death (Eisenberg 1992; Bernardi et al. 1995; Garzon and Eisenberg
1998), the intake of water low in magnesium seems to be associated with a higher risk of motor
neuronal disease (Iwami et al. 1994), pregnancy disorders (so-called preeclampsia) (Melles &
Kiss 1992), and some types of cancer (Yang et al. 1999a; Yang et al. 1999b; Yang et al. 1999c;
Yang et al. 2000).
Recent epidemiological studies suggest that reverse osmosis water may be a risk factor for
hypertension and coronary heart disease, gastric and duodenal ulcers, chronic gastritis, goitre,
pregnancy complications and several complications in newborns and infants, including jaundice,
anemia, fractures and growth disorders.
When used for cooking, reverse osmosis water was found to cause substantial losses of all
essential elements from food (vegetables, meat, cereals). Such losses may reach up to 60 % for
magnesium and calcium or even more for some other micro-elements (e.g., copper 66 %,
manganese 70 %, cobalt 86 %). In contrast, when mineralized water is used for cooking, the loss
of these elements is much lower, and in some cases, an even higher calcium content was reported
in food as a result of cooking.
The current diet of many persons usually does not provide all necessary elements in sufficient
quantities, and therefore, any factor that results in the loss of essential elements and nutrients
during the processing and preparation of food could be detrimental for them.
In a multi-city study, women living in cities with low-mineral water more frequently showed
cardiovascular changes (as measured by ECG), higher blood pressure, somatoform autonomic
dysfunctions, headache, dizziness, and osteoporosis (as measured by X-ray absorptiometry)
compared to those of cities with higher mineral content water.
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SOLUTION OF REVERSE OSMOSIS

Reverse osmosis or RO is by far the most common manmade method of purifying water on
earth. It involves passing water at high pressure through a plastic membrane with tiny holes in it.
Most minerals and chemicals are too large to pass through the membrane and remain behind,
resulting in the formation of a largely mineral-free, chemical-free and pathogen-free water.
RO is the most commonly used methods of producing pure water on planet earth. It is used in
almost all home and commercial "drinking water" machines such as those in water stores,
supermarkets and health food stores. It is also used industrially in bottling plants for soda pop,
soups, juices, beer and many other drinks. It is also used on all ships, some aircraft, and in many
other applications. It is much cheaper than distillation.
Unfortunately, RO water has many disadvantages including removing more than 90-99.99% of
all the contaminants including minerals from the drinking water supply. This can be fixed by
maintaining the RO system. The filters and membrane needs to be changed according to
manufacturer specifications. Natural remineralizing filters can be used on their own as basic
ionizing filters, or in conjunction with RO systems. With the use of the Water Remineralizer, RO
water is a healthy source water to use with a water ionizer. For an average reverse osmosis
system, the RO water before being remineralized is about a pH of 4, and after remineralization
its about a pH of 9.
Furthermore, re-mineralized water quenches thirst better and is absorbed by body faster. This is a
point of contention but the argument for faster hydration states that adding minerals back into the
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water boosts the pH and brings it back to an alkaline state. The water becomes ionized, which
makes the water molecules cluster into smaller groups, which makes it easier for your body to
absorb.
Adding a pinch of celtic or Himalayan salt to water can also help to remineralize water. Celtic
sea salt adds about 80 different vital trace minerals to your water. Himalayan salt is the pink salt
that is often seen in gourmet stores. It contains about the same number of minerals as celtic sea
salt but they do taste a bit different. Himalayan salt also has a bit less sodium in it. Use either of
these to increase the amount of minerals in your water.
Next, you can add a pinch of pascalite clay to the RO water system to re-mineralize it. This clay
comes from high up in Wyomings Big Horn Mountains. Its classified as a white clay but is
actually cream-colored. Its rich in natural minerals and wont affect the flavor of your water.
Pascalite also has purported medicinal properties including being good for burns, bug bites,
infections, rashes, acne, cuts and scrapes. Its also used in mud bathes for detoxifying and
softening skin and can even be used as a natural deodorant or body powder.
Furthermore, there are actually commercial drops that you can use to add the minerals back in to
your water. Trace mineral drops include micro minerals that your body needs in very small
amounts, such as chromium, copper, fluoride, manganese, molybdenum iodine, selenium, iron,
and zinc. Many drops also contain a fair share of magnesium, an important macro mineral.
Adding minerals to water makes them much more easily absorbed by the body, because they are
in their electrolyte or ionic form. You also get the advantage of taking in a steady supply of these
minerals as you drink water throughout the day. Plus, they are relatively inexpensive. An 8 oz.
bottle usually costs under $20 and may allow you to re-mineralize anywhere from 100 to 200
gallons of water.

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CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the threat of harmful contaminants in drinking water can no longer be reasonably
ignored. The correlation between contaminated drinking water and many significant diseases and
health problems is far too strong to discount.
There are many home treatment alternatives that can purify drinking water to a greater extent
than city treatment plants. Reverse osmosis and distillation, two of these alternatives, are
moderately successful at removing some contaminants, but unfortunately, it comes with its
disadvantages, too.
The reverse osmosis water filter system can vastly improve the overall taste of your water. It can
also mean that minerals that lead to hardness and mineral build up can be removed using this
system but you will have to weigh the pros and cons in deciding on a system that you wish to
use.

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