Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration
Reverse osmosis is the process of forcing impure water through a thick membrane at high pressure to remove the impurities. It is a costly way of purifying water that is mainly used in desalination plants. Not only is the cost high in financial terms, but it is also high in terms of the water use. For every gallon of water purified, several more must be used - some would say wasted - in the process.
The filtering membrane used in reverse osmosis is extremely fine, yet tough enough to withstand the pressure used. It can remove almost everything from the water including minerals. It is a costly way of purifying water that is mainly used in desalination plants. Not only is the cost high in financial terms, but it is also high in terms of the water use. For every gallon of water purified, several more must be used - some would say wasted - in the process. Experts claim that water purified by reverse osmosis is too pure to be healthy as all the natural minerals are missing from it. In spite of this it has been used for drinking water, medical applications and industrial use since around the 1970s.
Water obtained by reverse osmosis is ideal for marine aquariums as the pH is 6.0. It removes fluoride, nitrates, chlorine, phosphates and copper from the water - all those things that are bad for fish. However, the process uses bulky tanks that prevent it from being used in the home for the kid's fish tank.