Tag Archives: total dissolved solids

Total Dissolved Solids In Your Drinking Water

Stilles_Mineralwasser

The harmful contaminants that are in your tap water are too small to see with the naked eye. In order to get a better read on the water quality, these contaminants are grouped into a measurement know as total dissolved solids.

What are total dissolved solids?

Total dissolved solids (often abbreviated as TDS) is a measurement of the amount of dissolved particles in your water. A dissolved particle can pass through a filter with pores of two microns in size.

A measurement of total dissolved solids in water includes a variety of different forms of contaminants, some of which are more harmful than others. Some of the most common dissolved solids in water include calcium, chlorides, THM’s, nitrates, phosphorus, iron, sulfur and bacteria.

What effects do total dissolved solids have on water quality?

Total Dissolved Solids are a very wide range of contaminants, so they have different effects based on which ones are in the water, and what levels.  However, a high TDS count will generally result in:

  • A higher potential for poor water quality. When your water is high in total dissolved solids, it has an elevated chance of containing contaminants that will affect the quality of the water you use for drinking and bathing.
  • Bad tasting water. Water with a high TDS count is often described as tasting salty, bitter or metallic.
  • Bad smelling water. Water with a high TDS count also usually contains particles that negatively affect its smell.
  • Corroding of plumbing appliances. If your water contains a high level of total dissolved solids, it can corrode and shorten the life of your plumbing appliances.

How can you reduce the amount of total dissolved solids in your water?

We at Evolution Healthworks offer solutions to the problems caused by TDS. Our Aura H2O Water Filter removes these contaminants and provides the healthiest drinking water. Also, we offer Whole Home Systems which can filter the water that comes out of all the taps.

 

5 Reasons Reverse Osmosis is Bad For Your Health

reverse osmosis bad

If you’ve researched water filter systems for your home, then you are probably familiar with reverse osmosis.

For those of you who are not familiar, reverse osmosis is commonly described as the most complete way to filter your water. In some ways, this statement is valid. Reverse osmosis uses a membrane to very finely remove almost all dissolved solids from tap water.

This sounds like a great system, right? After all, the point of water filtration is to take out all of the bad substances and leave us with safe water.

It’s not that simple, though.

To get truly safe and healthy water, it’s very important to consider the adverse effects of drinking water that has no beneficial constituents.

The World Health Organization released a report summarizing some eye-opening findings about reverse osmosis and the “demineralized” water it creates. Below are 5 reasons from the report that reveal why reverse osmosis is bad for your health.

 1. It leads to mineral deficiencies 

Water is the universal solvent. When it is demineralized – or run through a reverse osmosis system – it aggressively seeks new metals and minerals to leach and absorb.

This becomes a problem when you RO water – it leaches beneficial minerals such as calcium and magnesium from your body.

Studies from around the world over a fifty-year period agree that water low in calcium and magnesium leads to a higher rate of bone fractures, cardiovascular disease, pregnancy disorders and some cancers.

2. It makes you urinate more

This might sound obvious – of course drinking water results in more trips to the restroom – but it’s more complicated than that.

Reverse osmosis water throws off water homeostasis in the body, causing a 20% increase in diuresis (aka need to urinate).

3. It negates the nutrients you get from food

Most reverse osmosis companies will advise you to use your demineralized water for cooking. While cooking with the right water can make a significant difference, this is NOT the case for reverse osmosis.

The study explains that cooking with demineralized water actually removes about 60% of the beneficial minerals from your food. Since the majority of our nutrients come from what we eat, cooking with demineralized water can be very detrimental to your dietary health.

4. It leads to more toxic chemicals in your water

Just as reverse osmosis water is likely to absorb minerals in your body, it is also highly aggressive to materials with which it comes into contact before entering your body.

It readily dissolves metals and organic substances from your sink’s pipes, coatings, storage tanks, hose lines and fittings before entering your glass.

Low-mineral water intensifies the leaching process, raising your chances of getting lead poisoning from your kitchen’s plumbing.

5. It’s less thirst-quenching

The report explains that since demineralized water throws off homeostasis in the body, it leads to more thirst.

What’s wrong with a little additional thirst? It means more of all the problems listed above. Welcome to the vicious cycle of reverse osmosis.

 

What’s an acceptable alternative?

It’s important to look for a Drinking Water System that reintroduces healthy trace minerals to your water, in addition to removing harmful contaminants.

The Aura H2O Water Filter not only removes 99.9% of contaminants, but also adds minerals such as calcium and magnesium back to your water. Also, the Evolution Healthworks system wastes no water, compared to the average reverse osmosis system that wastes about 5 gallons for every 1 it filters.

 

More info: The World Health Organization on Water, Sanitation and Health
Protection and the Human Environment