What Does Reverse Osmosis Remove?
Reverse osmosis is an incredibly effective filtration process that is able to filter a wide variety of contaminants and pollutants from water.
Already popular in industries such as fishkeeping, window cleaning and dentistry, reverse osmosis is becoming an increasingly popular choice for producing clean drinking water.
This guide will provide a comprehensive (but not exhaustive) list of contaminants that reverse osmosis is able to remove.
Are all RO Systems able to remove the same contaminants?
There is a wealth of RO systems available, and all will have their own specific use case. So, while the RO process itself is able to filter over 1,000 contaminants, systems will be configured to their specific use case and are therefore more, or less, effective at removing certain contaminants than others.
Another key consideration is that the efficacy and potential output of an RO membrane are based upon specific test conditions, the 3 main ones being; the quality of the input water (measured with a TDS meter), pressure (measured in PSI or bar, with a pressure gauge) of the input water, and water temperature.
Generally, these test parameters are around 300ppm, 4 bar, and 25°C.
As it is usually not the case that these parameters will be matched when filtering water from a residential water source, it is good to keep in mind that overall filtration results will vary.
Does reverse osmosis remove fluoride?
Yes, reverse osmosis removes around 95 to 98% of fluoride from tap water.
Does reverse osmosis remove bacteria?
Reverse osmosis is very effective at removing bacteria from water, including salmonella and E. coli. It is also effective for removing viruses such as Norovirus or Hepatitis A.
Does reverse osmosis remove limescale?
Reverse osmosis is a popular choice for those living in hard water areas as it’s an effective way of removing minerals that cause limescale build-up. Please note that this also means that some beneficial minerals may be removed during the process, which is why many people opt for a 6-stage RO system that remineralises the water.
Does reverse osmosis remove lead?
Yes, reverse osmosis can remove up to 98% of lead present in water, as well as other metal ions such as copper or zinc.
Does reverse osmosis remove microplastics?
Reverse osmosis can filter particles that are only 0.0001 microns in size, making it one of the most effective ways to remove microplastics.
What does reverse osmosis not remove?
While reverse osmosis boasts an impressive list of contaminants filtered, there are some that cannot be effectively removed through the process. This includes some micro-organisms, chlorine by-products (depending on the concentration of chlorine in water) and dissolved gases, including carbon dioxide, methane, radon or hydrogen sulphide. These are particularly rare though in most use cases. Agricultural treatments such as pesticides, herbicides or fungicides may also not fully be filtered, depending on the effectiveness of your system and the quality of your water.
Want to start filtering your water?
We’ve got an extensive range of reverse osmosis systems available, as well as all the parts and accessories you need – including membranes and replacement filters.
If you need additional advice, feel free to get in touch, and a member of our team will be on hand to help.
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