This article compares tap water against water filtration systems currently on the market. The three systems compared are distillation, reverse osmosis, and solid carbon filtration systems.
Water Filtration Systems Comparison
Contents | Distillation | Reverse Osmosis |
Solid Carbon |
Tap Water |
Bacteria | Removed | Removed | Probably | Unlikely |
Chemicals | Some | Removed | Removed | Added |
Chlorine | Removed | * | Removed | Added |
Cryptosporidium | Removed | Removed | Removed | Probably |
Disinfection Byproducts |
Removed | Removed | Removed | Added |
Fluoride | Removed | Removed | Not Removed | Added |
Giardia | Removed | Removed | Removed | Probably |
Heavy Metals | Removed | Removed | Probably | Some |
Lead | Removed | Removed | Some | Not Removed |
Mercury | Removed | Removed | Some | Some |
Minerals | Removed | Removed | Not Removed | Some |
Nitrates | Removed | Removed | Not Removed | Not Removed |
Pesticides | Removed | Removed | Removed | Not Removed |
Radium | Removed | Removed | Not Removed | Not Removed |
Radon | Not Removed | Not Removed | Removed | Some |
Solvents | Not Removed | * | Removed | Probably |
Viruses | Removed | Removed | Not Removed | Removed |
*Removed if Carbon also Used
Although technology is constantly advancing, the three filtration systems compared all have drawbacks. Here they are
- Distillation is slow, wastes some water, and requires electricity to operate. It also removes soluble minerals and trace minerals, and it is not good to drink distilled water for long periods of time because of the lack of minerals in distilled water.
- Reverse Osmosis requires about three times as much water as it processes. So, it wastes water.
- Solid Carbon is not as effective as distallation or reverse osmosis in eliminating toxins from water, although it is still better than tap water.
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