Reverse
Osmosis filtration cleans water by taking out the totally dissolved
solids (TDS) which contaminate the water. Although city water treatment
removes the dirt and debris and adds chlorine to prevent the spread
of diseases, it does not remove the dissolved solids from the water.
And with the increasing pollution of our surface and ground water
with contaminants such as lead, mercury, and chromium-6, as well
as the naturally occurring harmful contaminants such as arsenic,
fluorides, and sulfides found in some areas of the country, it is
more important than ever to have a way to remove these contaminants
at the point of use.
Reverse Osmosis membranes used in water filtration systems can on
average, remove 95% of dissolved contaminants from water. (See table
at right.) Only 1% of the city water entering the home is used for
drinking and cooking—about 2-3 gallons per day— where
the average home uses 300 gallons per day or more. So it makes sense
to clean just the water needed for drinking and cooking at home.
City water is available at the home from already-installed water
mains and has the required pressure of 60 to 75 psi to make the
reverse osmosis system work.
Osmosis is a naturally occurring process in human and animal membranes.
Salts in the body fluids build up osmotic pressure, forcing water
molecules through the living membranes in our bodies. In under-sink
reverse osmosis systems, pressure from the city water overcomes
the “salt” pressure of the dissolved materials and forces
the water molecules through a synthetic thin film membrane, leaving
the dissolved salts behind. The city water enters the membrane filter
element, and two streams leave; the clean water and the water containing
the dissolved solid residue, called brine, which is discarded to
the drain. On the comparative chart below, reverse osmosis removes
the smallest of materials, from 1-micron down to 1- Angstrom. For
materials larger than 1-micron, particle filters are used ahead
of the RO membrane to prevent plugging of the tiny membrane pores.
The filter systems described in this site will provide good tasting,
clean, safe water for drinking and cooking. VERTEX has submitted
its most popular PureWaterMachines for testing to industry standard
ANSI/NSF-58 by the Water Quality Association which has given VERTEX
the GOLD SEAL approval. All other products in this catalog are engineered
and made to the same high standards.
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Typical
Reverse Osmosis Contaminant Removal Rates
Aluminum 86%
Arsenic 94%
Barium 96%
Bicarbonate 90%
Borate 30%
Bromide 87%
Cadmium 96%
Calcium 94%
Chloride 87%
Chromate 86%
Chromium 96%
Copper 98%
Cyanide 86%
Detergent 97%
Ferrocyanide 98%
Flouride 87%
Herbicides 97%
Insectecides 97%
Lead 97%
Magnesium 96%
Manganese 95%
Mercury 96%
Nickel 98%
Nitrate 80%
PCBs 97%
Perchlorate 96%
Phosphate 96%
Potassium 87%
Radium 80%
Selenium 94%
Silicate 85%
Silver 93%
Sodium 87%
Spores 99.9%
Strontium 96%
Sulfate 97%
Thiosulfate 96%
Zinc 98%
Factory Tests at 65psi and 77F. Actual rates may vary.
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