Reverse osmosis uses pressure to force water through a semi-permeable membrane, separating pure water from contaminants. It removes more contaminants than other filtration systems, but is slow and wastes water. It is used in homes, industry, and to purify saltwater and rainwater.
Reverse osmosis water filtration is a type of water filtration system that works by using pressure to force water through a membrane, separating pure water from any contaminants. In normal osmosis, a solvent, such as pure water, naturally moves across a membrane from a low solute area to a high solute area, where there is a higher concentration of contaminants. In reverse osmosis, however, this process works in exactly the opposite way. Pressure is applied to force water to move across the membrane from a high solute area to a low solute area. This effectively separates the pure water from contaminants, which are collected on the other side of the membrane.
The membranes used in reverse osmosis water filtration are semi-permeable. They are designed to allow pure water to move through the membrane, but to trap most contaminants and not allow any through. These membranes are usually made from a substance called polyimide, a type of strong plastic resin that is resistant to heat and chemical changes.
There are many different types of water filtration systems, most of which use mechanical filters of one type or another. The unique aspect of this type of water filtration is the application of pressure to move water through a fine membrane. For this reason, water purifiers and drinking water filter systems that use reverse osmosis typically remove far more contaminants from treated water than most other types of filtration systems. Contaminants removed can include metals such as lead, chemicals such as chlorine, and pathogens including viruses and bacteria. However, not all substances are removed by reverse osmosis and, in particular, certain types of pesticides are often present in filtered water.
Some of the disadvantages of reverse osmosis water filtration systems in common residential use include wasted water and slow production of purified water. For every unit of treated water produced, up to eight units of wastewater can be produced and disposed of. Some systems allow the user to store wastewater for use in gardening, washing cars and other non-potable uses. Water is usually purified fairly slowly, and these systems often take three to four hours to produce a gallon of clean drinking water. Some critics of these filtration systems also point out that beneficial minerals are removed from the drinking water and discarded along with the contaminants.
In addition to home filtration systems, there are numerous other applications of reverse osmosis water filtration. Industrial processes that produce wastewater containing unwanted substances, including power plants, can treat the water using this type of filtration. Reverse osmosis water filtration can also be used to turn salt water into drinking water and to purify collected rainwater.
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