Water purifier terms [UV, UF, Nano, RO]

We see following terms in different water purifiers. Here, I will try to explain meaning for them.

UV [Ultra Violet]

This kind of water purifier will be having UV lamp which destroys the bacteria in the water by powerful UV rays. The body of dead bacteria will still remain in the body if there are no filters after UV stage.

UF, Nano, RO

I have mentioned all the above terms in the same heading as they are related. They basically filter out smaller particles from water. In all the three technologies, water passes through membranes having very small holes. Particles which can not pass through membrane holes will be filtered and water gets purified. The holes in membranes are very very small which can even remove the dissolved particles and minerals from water [in case of RO].

UF [Ultra Filtration]

In this case, membranes are having holes in the range of 0.01 micron [0.01 micro meter or 10 nano meter]. To relate the size of the hole, you can consider thickness of human hair, which is around 100 um [100 micro meter (um) OR 10th part of millimeter (mm) OR 10000th part of centimeter (cm)] on average. So this membrane will be having holes which are 10000 [ten thousands] times smaller than human hair.

Nano

In this case, membranes are having holes in the range of 0.001 micron [0.001 micro meter or 1 nano meter (nm)]. It is in the range of 1 nano meter, so it is called Nano filter. So this membrane will be having holes which are 100000 [one lac] times smaller than human hair.

RO [Reverse Osmosis]

In this case, membranes are having holes in the range of 0.00001 micron [0.00001 micro meter or 0.01 nano meter]. So this membrane will be having holes which are 10000000 [1 crore] times smaller than human hair. Holes are so small that it even filters out minerals from water. This is why one should be very careful in choosing RO water purifier because it can filters out most of the useful minerals from water apart of other impurities.

If TDS in water is upto 500/1000, one can choose UV + UF or UV + Nano water purifier. This will make sure all impurities [But not minerals] will be filtered out through UF / Nano filter and bacteria will be destroyed through UV. If UF stage is kept after UV, it will also make sure that dead bodies of bacteria destroyed through UV will also be filtered out from water.

Freedom 251 from Ringing Bell : Smart phone Just Rs. 251

Ringing Bells Freedom 251 smartphone was launched in February 2016 at Just Rs. 251.


The phone comes with a 

• 4.00-inch touchscreen display
• 1.3GHz quad-core
• 1GB of RAM
• 8GB of internal storage [expanded up to 32GB] 
• 3.2-megapixel primary camera, 0.3-megapixel front camera 
• Android 5.1
• 1450mAh removable battery. 
• Single SIM (GSM)

How to buy this phone

Goto Company's website: http://www.freedom251.com/

Key features of phone

GENERAL

Release date	February 2016
Form factor	Touchscreen
Battery capacity (mAh)	1450
Removable battery	Yes
SAR value	NA

DISPLAY

Screen size (inches)	4.00
Touchscreen	Yes
Resolution	540x960 pixels

HARDWARE

Processor	1.3GHz  quad-core
RAM	1GB
Internal storage	8GB
Expandable storage	Yes
Expandable storage type	microSD
Expandable storage up to (GB)	32

CAMERA

Rear camera	3.2-megapixel
Flash	No
Front camera	0.3-megapixel

SOFTWARE

Operating System

Android 5.1

CONNECTVITY

Wi-Fi	Yes
Wi-Fi standards supported	NA
GPS	No
Bluetooth	Yes
NFC	No
Infrared	No
USB OTG	No
Headphones	3.5mm
FM	Yes
GSM/ CDMA	GSM
3G	Yes
4G/ LTE	No

SENSORS

Compass/ Magnetometer	No
Proximity sensor	Yes
Accelerometer	No
Ambient light sensor	No
Gyroscope	No
Barometer	No
Temperature sensor	No

Think twice before using RO [Reverse Osmosis] Water Purifier

Here are some precious information about RO [Reverse Osmosis] water.

Abstract from Paper on RO [Reverse Osmosis] water from WHO [World Health Organization]

In this chapter, demineralised water is defined as water almost or completely free of dissolved minerals as a result of distillation, deionization, membrane filtration (reverse osmosis or nanofiltration), electrodialysis or other technology. The total dissolved solids (TDS) in such water can vary but TDS could be as low as 1 mg/L. ...

It has been adequately demonstrated that consuming water of low mineral content has a negative effect on homeostasis mechanisms, compromising the mineral and water metabolism in the body. An increase in urine output (i.e., increased diuresis) is associated with an increase in excretion of major intra- and extracellular ions from the body fluids, their negative balance, and changes in body water levels and functional activity of some body water management-dependent hormones.Experiments in animals, primarily rats, for up to one-year periods have repeatedly shown that the intake of distilled water or water with TDS ≤ 75 mg/L leads to: 1.) increased water intake, diuresis, extracellular fluid volume, and serum concentrations of sodium (Na) and chloride (Cl) ions and their increased elimination from the body, resulting in an overall negative balance.., and 2.) lower volumes of red cells and some other hematocrit changes (3). Although Rakhmanin et al. (6) did not find mutagenic or gonadotoxic effects of distilled water, they did report decreased secretion of tri-iodothyronine and aldosterone, increased secretion of cortisol, morphological changes in the kidneys including a more pronounced atrophy of glomeruli, and swollen vascular endothelium limiting the blood flow. Reduced skeletal ossification was also found in rat foetuses whose dams were given distilled water in a one-year study. Apparently the reduced mineral intake from water was not compensated by their diets, even if the animals were kept on standardized diet that was physiologically adequate in caloric value, nutrients and salt composition. ...

Results of experiments in human volunteers evaluated by researchers for the WHO report (3) are in agreement with those in animal experiments and suggest the basic mechanism of the effects of water low in TDS (e.g. < 100 mg/L) on water and mineral homeostasis. Low-mineral water markedly: 1.) increased diuresis (almost by 20%, on average), body water volume, and serum sodium concentrations, 2.) decreased serum potassium concentration, and 3.) increased the elimination of sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium and magnesium ions from the body. It was thought that low-mineral water acts on osmoreceptors of the gastrointestinal tract, causing an increased flow of sodium ions into the intestinal lumen and slight reduction in osmotic pressure in the portal venous system with subsequent enhanced release of sodium into the blood as an adaptation response. This osmotic change in the blood plasma results in the redistribution of body water; that is, there is an increase in the total extracellular fluid volume and the transfer of water from erythrocytes and interstitial fluid into the plasma and between intracellular and interstitial fluids. In response to the changed plasma volume, baroreceptors and volume receptors in the bloodstream are activated, inducing a decrease in aldosterone release and thus an increase in sodium elimination. Reactivity of the volume receptors in the vessels may result in a decrease in ADH release and an enhanced diuresis. The German Society for Nutrition reached similar conclusions about the effects of distilled water and warned the public against drinking it (7). The warning was published in response to the German edition of The Shocking Truth About Water (8), whose authors recommended drinking distilled water instead of "ordinary" drinking water. ... 

Lutai (37) conducted a large cohort epidemiological study in the Ust-Ilim region of Russia. The study focused on morbidity and physical development in 7658 adults, 562 children and 1582 pregnant women and their newborns in two areas supplied with water different in TDS. One of these areas was supplied with water lower in minerals (mean values: TDS 134 mg/L, calcium 18.7 mg/L, magnesium 4.9 mg/L, bicarbonates 86.4 mg/L) and the other was supplied with water higher in minerals (mean values: TDS 385 mg/L, calcium 29.5 mg/L, magnesium 8.3 mg/L, bicarbonates 243.7 mg/L). Water levels of sulfate, chloride, sodium, potassium, copper, zinc, manganese and molybdenum were also determined. The populations of the two areas did not differ from each other in eating habits, air quality, social conditions and time of residence in the respective areas. The population of the area supplied with water lower in minerals showed higher incidence rates of goiter, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, gastric and duodenal ulcers, chronic gastritis, cholecystitis and nephritis. Children living in this area exhibited slower physical development and more growth abnormalities, pregnant women suffered more frequently from edema and anemia. Newborns of this area showed higher morbidity. The lowest morbidity was associated with water having calcium levels of 30-90 mg/L, magnesium levels of 17-35 mg/L, and TDS of about 400 mg/L (for bicarbonate containing waters). The author concluded that such water could be considered as physiologically optimum. ...

Salts are leached from the body under the influence of drinking water with a low TDS. Because adverse effects such as altered water-salt balance were observed not only in completely desalinated water but also in water with TDS between 50 and 75 mg/L, the team that prepared the 1980 WHO report (3) recommended that the minimum TDS in drinking water should be 100 mg/L. The team also recommended that the optimum TDS should be about 200-400 mg/L for chloride-sulphate waters and 250-500 mg/L for bicarbonate waters (WHO 1980). The recommendations were based on extensive experimental studies conducted in rats, dogs and human volunteers.... 

[Think about this: RO purifier is reducing TDS by 90%. So, Water having TDS of 500 after passing through RO, TDS becomes 50 which is even less than bare minimum TDS which is required for drinking water]

The Russian technical standard Astronaut environment in piloted spaceships – general medical and technical requirements (64) defines qualitative requirements for recycled water intended for drinking in spaceships. Among other requirements, the TDS should range between 100 and 1000 mg/L with minimum levels of fluoride, calcium and magnesium being specified by 158 a special commission separately for each cosmic flight. The focus is on how to supplement recycled water with a mineral concentrate to make it “physiologically valuable” (65). ...

Full paper regarding RO [Reverse Osmosis] from WHO [World Health Organization] here.

Indian Standard on Drinking Water

As per Indian standard IS 10500 : 2012 [Drinking Water - Specification], acceptable TDS limit on drinking water is 500 and permissible limit is 2000.

Refer to "Table 1 Organoleptic and Physical Parameters" in this article.

The Dangers of Drinking Reverse Osmosis Water

Scientist and researchers worldwide have repeatedly demonstrated that long-term consumption of reverse osmosis water (RO) water is bad for your health.

Just about, everyone knows that Reverse Osmosis (RO) systems excel at removing water impurities, similar to distilled water they both take out the natural minerals in the water Asia and the European countries call it dead water, in some countries it is even banned, few are aware that they also remove the beneficial minerals. In fact, the reverse osmosis process removes 92-99% of beneficial calcium and magnesium. What is the big deal?

“Disease and early death is more likely to be seen with the long term drinking of distilled water, reverse osmosis water”. Zoltan P. Roma MD MSc, In other words reverse osmosis can cause death.

After analyzing hundreds of scientific studies concerning deminerialized or reverse osmosis water, the World Health Organization released a report stating that such water “has a definite adverse influence on the animal and human organism.”

Consumers have been so concerned with removing as many things from water as possible that they have forgotten to ask if the resulting water actually improves health or causes health problems. It is assumed that no toxins equals better health, but there is simply more to healthful water than a lack of toxins, as the World Health Organization clearly points out.

What is alarming is that consuming reverse osmosis water for even just a few months can create serious side effects. “The effects of most chemicals commonly found in drinking water manifest themselves after long exposure.” However “only a few months exposure may be sufficient ‘consumption time effects’ from water that is low in magnesium and/or calcium.

Illustrative of such short-term exposures are cases in the Czech and Slovak populations who began using reverse osmosis-based systems for final treatment of drinking water at their home taps in 2000-2002. Within several weeks or months various health complaints suggestive of acute magnesium (and possibly calcium) deficiency were reported.Among these complaints were cardiovascular disorders, tiredness, weakness or muscular cramps.” Again, serious side effects within just several weeks or months.

Read full article here

Here, I have tried my best to provide you the correct information.

So, please think before buying RO water purifier. It is understood that TDS reduction is required if TDS goes beyond 500. But, if TDS is reduced to 50 from 500 by RO mechanism, it is a major risk to health. 

Actually, as per WHO article, as highlighted above, TDS till 1000 is safe and required. And as per Indian Standard, TDS till 2000, is permissible for drinking water.