Reverse Osmosis Filter

The ingredients in tap water should be H2O and trace minerals or electrolytes, such as sodium and potassium. In some areas, the mineral content includes calcium and magnesium. In others, elements like lithium and manganese are present.

Those are all naturally occurring substances, as is the heavy metal lead and poisonous metal arsenic. Lead is found in surface and groundwater, because it is present in the earth and stones. Arsenic is found in some well-water, because, it too is present in the ground.

When the ingredients in tap water are things like lead, arsenic and even lithium, they are referred to as contaminants. Standards for purity vary, of course, and some people think that only de-mineralized waters are "pure".

But, most health experts agree that a trace mineral-content is best, since that is what the human body was naturally designed to drink. There is no naturally occurring water on the planet that does not have at least a slight trace of minerals.

So, my standard of purity is H2O with a trace mineral content that is free of chemical contaminants and the heavy metal lead. Also, I prefer not to drink cysts (parasites that cause gastrointestinal illnesses ranging from minor to fatal).

Regretfully, nearly every publicly treated supply, including the one that supplies my home, has numerous chemical contaminants, as well as traces of lead and from time to time cysts are present, although the "count" is typically not high. So, those would be the ingredients in tap water in my home, if I had not installed effective purifiers.

At one time, it was believed that exposure to small amounts of lead was "safe". Now, doctors have seen that lead stays in the body for many years. It builds up in the organs and can be measured in the blood stream. In people who have traces of lead in their blood, various health and behavioral problems are seen.

In teenagers, they have seen aggressive and anti-social behaviors, as well as learning problems. In adults, they have seen high blood pressure and heart disease. They believe that there may be a link to Alzheimer's, as well.

At one time, it was believed that exposure to small amounts of chemical contaminants, in the parts per billion, was "safe". Now, researchers have shown that those chemicals also build up in our bodies over time. Many of the chemical ingredients in tap water are cancer-causing and exposure to them increases the individual's lifetime risk of cancer.

You don't need an expensive reverse osmosis system to purify your home's water. You need a device with a submicron filter to remove cysts, an ion exchange step to remove lead and a dual stage carbon and multi-media block to remove chemical contaminants.

Ion exchange also helps to balance the mineral content and improve the taste, as well as the pH level. You don't have to worry about the ingredients in tap water, if you have an effective home filtration system like mine. You can drink till your heart's content, with no worries.