How to Effectively Remove Heavy Metals from Drinking Water?

It is difficult to tell how clean the water is by just looking at it. Especially when heavy metals and salts are dissolved in the water. There are different methods to remove such dissolved impurities from water. 

 

Heavy metal exposure has increased as a result of anthropogenic, industrial, and agricultural activity as well as modern industrialisation, all of which have negative impacts on human health. The environmental concern of hazardous metal contamination of water and air affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide. 

Types of heavy metals in drinking water and their risks:

 

Lead, cadmium, manganese, and arsenic are just some of the heavy metals on the World Health Organization's list of Chemicals of Major Public Health concerns, all of which are often present in tap water. Let's examine some of the potential hazards associated with drinking tap water and the practical solution for avoiding such toxicity.

Manganese

 

In addition to being an ingredient in plumbing materials, Manganese is a frequent metal utilised in many kinds of aluminium alloys. Manganese poisoning in the neurological system can result from high exposure through drinking water. This heavy metal might easily enter your water supply because it is present in both surface and groundwater.

Arsenic

 

In the Earth's crust, Arsenic is a typical heavy metal that occasionally results from natural processes. However, human activities like mining and the production of pesticides have raised the levels of arsenic in groundwater around the world. Arsenic exposure can result in skin discolouration, nausea, diarrhoea, and stomach pain in small quantities, and can be fatal if consumed in large quantities.

Lead

 

Lead is a naturally existing metal that is extremely malleable, and dangerous in any amount. The most typical way it enters your drinking water is when pipes or plumbing equipment corrode. Lead can collect in your body over time and harm your brain, liver, kidneys, heart, or bones, so even minute levels in your water can be hazardous. Autoimmunity, rheumatoid arthritis, nervous system dysfunction, and kidney illness can all be brought on by lead exposure.

 

How far do water purification methods at home help in removing metals?

 

Water filtration is the process of removing or reducing the concentration of particulate matter from contaminated water to create safe and clean water for a specific use, such as drinking, medical, and pharmaceutical applications. Sediment, mechanical, chemical, mineral, and bacterial filtration are typically used in drinking water filtration systems.

 

Heavy metals from the contaminated water have been eliminated using a variety of techniques, including chemical precipitation, ion exchange, adsorption, membrane filtration, reverse osmosis, solvent extraction, and electrochemical treatment. Here we will showcase some water purification methods at home to remove heavy metals from drinking water.  

• Activated Carbon 

 

This is a low-cost method of removing impurities from water. Carbon is a strong oxidizing agent to purify any pollutant from water. By chemically attaching to the water that is pumped into the system, carbon eliminates impurities. Other water purifiers remove more dangerous elements, such as mercury and lead, while some merely remove chlorine, which only improves taste and odour. It is crucial to remember that inorganic contaminants like nitrates, fluoride, and arsenic may not be removed by carbon filters. Consumers typically purchase carbon filters in the form of blocks or granules. 

• Ion Exchange Method

 

Lastly in this list, there is another manual method known as Ion exchange. The ion resin exchange method involves using ions to exchange heavy metal compounds in the polluted water body to exchange heavy metals from water to purify it. The heavy metal ions in the wastewater are moved to the ion exchange resin during the ion exchange treatment, and then, following regeneration, they are transferred from the ion exchange resin to the regeneration waste liquid. The ion resin exchange process has the advantages of being inexpensive, producing no wastewater, and having decent results. The models used include various ultrafiltration water filters.

 

These were some of the manual ways to purify water at home. Some of them are hard to perform while other methods are time-consuming and not that effective. Instead of these temporary solutions, now in the following, we will elaborate on the best and most permanent method of removing heavy metals from drinking water. 

 

RO for a long-term solution 

 

RO water filtration system is the most effective manner to purify any type of water and most of the impurities in comparison to other purification methods available.  The most effective water filtering system now available for heavy metal removal is a RO reverse osmosis filter, which is a middle to high-end water filter. The ultrafiltration membrane's pore size allows it to entirely flow through.

 

In reverse osmosis (RO), pressure is used to push a solution through a membrane, which keeps the solute on one side while letting only the pure solvent flow to the other, which is commonly referred to as the mode of osmosis in reverse. In more detailed words, it is the process of exerting pressure above the osmotic pressure to push a solvent through a membrane from a zone of high solute concentration to a region of low solute concentration.

 

This is the opposite of the usual osmosis process, which occurs naturally when no external pressure is applied and involves the passage of solvent through a membrane.  Since the membrane, in this case, is semipermeable, only the solvent can pass through, but not solute. In the polymer matrix of the reverse osmosis membranes, where the majority of separation takes place, there is a dense barrier layer.  

 

The membrane is often made to only allow water to pass through this thick layer while blocking the passage of solutes (such as salt ions and heavy metals). For this procedure, the membrane's high-concentration side must be put under a lot of pressure.

 

This concludes that to safeguard yourself and your family, there is no better solution than a RO water purifier. So, let’s look at some of the highest quality RO water purifiers that you can’t deny getting impressed by. 

• Pureit Classic Nxt RO+MF Water Purifier 

 

This is a definitive water purifier from the universal RO range offered by Pureit. This multi-functional water purifier comes with a low maintenance charge so you don’t have to go over the budget to have clean and safe water. This combined method of Reverse Osmosis (RO) and Micro Filtration effectively removes any sort of heavy metal from the water. 

 

If you have a family of four and are looking at situations like power failure or power blackouts, this is the choice that will meet your needs. Another amazing feature of this purifier is, it includes a voltage fluctuation guard which can work in a range from a high voltage of 280 volts to a low voltage of 100 volts. This RO+MF water purifier also includes a unique power saver mode. 

 

Once the water tank is full, this mode automatically shuts off the power to the water purifier. As a result, you can reduce energy waste and lower your monthly expenditures. All the qualities not only make this purifier the first of this list but also the topmost option for your home. 

• Pureit Copper + Mineral RO+UV+MF Water Purifier

 

Like mineral water is extremely beneficial for our health, copper-charged water is advantageous too. If you want to have continuous access to water that has the goodness of minerals and is also charged with effective copper components, then this is the one for you. The modern methods of water purification in this device include RO+UV so when the RO uses optimum pressure to remove heavy metals, a powerful in-built UV lamp is killing the viruses and bacteria making your water entirely safe. 

 

The copper-charged technology in this purifier adds the healing benefit of copper which gives you good health. This water purifier has smart copper cleaning technology that schedules auto-cleaning so there is no risk to your family’s health. All these features make this water purifier a must-have for you. 

• Pureit Advanced Pro Mineral RO+UV Water Purifier   

This water filter is another crisp addition to this list. Let’s take a look at what makes this water purifier a perfect fit for most Indian households. To start with, this water purifier comes with advanced 6 stages of purification along with a RO+UV system of filtration for maximum removal of harmful bacteria, metals, and chemicals remaining. The in-built mineral enhancer gives you healthy, mineral-enriched water by adding important minerals like calcium and magnesium.  

 

There is also an intriguing feature like ‘Smartsense Indicator’ which has an advanced alert system that reminds you 15 days before the filter replacement is required. These attributes place this purifier at the top of the best choice for your house.

 

RO membrane is proven to be the best solution to treat heavy metals and hard water. This was insightful knowledge of how RO works to remove heavy metals. You can check these above-mentioned purifiers online along with other versatile ranges of Pureit.