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Netherlands4921 Posts
On May 26 2012 06:24 dAPhREAk wrote:Show nested quote +On May 26 2012 06:23 solidbebe wrote:On May 26 2012 06:16 JingleHell wrote:On May 26 2012 06:11 solidbebe wrote:On May 26 2012 06:07 JingleHell wrote:On May 26 2012 06:03 Dr_Strange wrote:On May 26 2012 03:43 Chill wrote:
There's nothing wrong with being skeptical and seeking real information. But if you decide that you don't trust the thousands of scientists, regulators and engineers that control your tap water, you have to decide that you don't trust the FDA to regulate your food; you don't trust electrical regulators to protect you from harmful signals; and the list goes on and on.
It's a pretty bold move to stop believing in the people who are trying to protect you without doing due diligence. That is why Japan, Sweden, Germany, and a bunch of other countries have banned flouride? There are also countries which have banned pornography. Is it inherently bad for you? I mean aside from making your eyes fall out, and growing hair on your palms and all that? Did they ban pornography because they thought it has bad effects on society ( m/b mental issues?) or because it's physically not good for you? In any case though. there's problaby good reason some countries have banned fluoride in tap water, I appreciate your trust in the government and the thousands of people working on national safety (which they should be appreciated for) but I'm getting the feeling that even if someon laid out 100% undeniable proof that fluoride in tap water is bad afore you, you would still deny it. It's generally banned due to religion. Also, don't attack critical thinking skills without evidence, especially when someone is pretty blatantly just having fun. It shows a deficiency in your own to allow a bias like that. If someone laid out evidence, that I could understand, that was actually 100% undeniable, I'd pretty clearly agree with it. What I don't do, however, is follow the herd mentality. If I did, I'd be utterly insane from trying to keep up with what's unhealthy for me today, and why it will actually be the miracle cure tomorrow. In other words, until the risks outweigh the benefits, I'll deal with it. I by no means meant to insult you, I was just saying that you were defending one side fairly fiercely. I don't know if fluoride in tap water is bad myself, there's a few factors arguing for it, but also some huge things arguing against it. Personally I'm just glad my country did decide to ban it, so I have nothing to potentially worry about. probably shouldn't brush your teeth with common toothpastes either.
I know of that, but since you don't ingest that much toothpaste anyway I'm okay with that. Like I said I don't actually know if it is/would be bad for you. Fluoride is a mineral tho and just like any other mineral ingesting too much is bad, but that is kinda the definition of too much, and how much is too much? I wouldn't know. Why I'm against fluoride in tap water though is because the decision is made for you by people that know 'what is good for you'. I just don't like that whole practice.
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On May 26 2012 06:29 solidbebe wrote:Show nested quote +On May 26 2012 06:24 dAPhREAk wrote:On May 26 2012 06:23 solidbebe wrote:On May 26 2012 06:16 JingleHell wrote:On May 26 2012 06:11 solidbebe wrote:On May 26 2012 06:07 JingleHell wrote:On May 26 2012 06:03 Dr_Strange wrote:On May 26 2012 03:43 Chill wrote:
There's nothing wrong with being skeptical and seeking real information. But if you decide that you don't trust the thousands of scientists, regulators and engineers that control your tap water, you have to decide that you don't trust the FDA to regulate your food; you don't trust electrical regulators to protect you from harmful signals; and the list goes on and on.
It's a pretty bold move to stop believing in the people who are trying to protect you without doing due diligence. That is why Japan, Sweden, Germany, and a bunch of other countries have banned flouride? There are also countries which have banned pornography. Is it inherently bad for you? I mean aside from making your eyes fall out, and growing hair on your palms and all that? Did they ban pornography because they thought it has bad effects on society ( m/b mental issues?) or because it's physically not good for you? In any case though. there's problaby good reason some countries have banned fluoride in tap water, I appreciate your trust in the government and the thousands of people working on national safety (which they should be appreciated for) but I'm getting the feeling that even if someon laid out 100% undeniable proof that fluoride in tap water is bad afore you, you would still deny it. It's generally banned due to religion. Also, don't attack critical thinking skills without evidence, especially when someone is pretty blatantly just having fun. It shows a deficiency in your own to allow a bias like that. If someone laid out evidence, that I could understand, that was actually 100% undeniable, I'd pretty clearly agree with it. What I don't do, however, is follow the herd mentality. If I did, I'd be utterly insane from trying to keep up with what's unhealthy for me today, and why it will actually be the miracle cure tomorrow. In other words, until the risks outweigh the benefits, I'll deal with it. I by no means meant to insult you, I was just saying that you were defending one side fairly fiercely. I don't know if fluoride in tap water is bad myself, there's a few factors arguing for it, but also some huge things arguing against it. Personally I'm just glad my country did decide to ban it, so I have nothing to potentially worry about. probably shouldn't brush your teeth with common toothpastes either. I know of that, but since you don't ingest that much toothpaste anyway I'm okay with that. Like I said I don't actually know if it is/would be bad for you. Fluoride is a mineral tho and just like any other mineral ingesting too much is bad, but that is kinda the definition of too much, and how much is too much? I wouldn't know. Why I'm against fluoride in tap water though is because the decision is made for you by people that know 'what is good for you'. I just don't like that whole practice.
Oh, by the way, if I don't respond again for a while, it's because I'm heading out to the Red Bull thing.
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On May 26 2012 02:41 Failsafe wrote:
What's the best Water Filter that also removes Fluoride content? I've read disturbing things on Facebook about water available to public in the Eastern United States. Although I've drank similar water through my life, I'm willing to try a water filtration solution and see if it improves quality of life. I drink a lot of water because I try to avoid caffeinated beverages and drinks with lots of sugar.
I feel like if I drink drinks with too much sugar or caffeinated drinks, especially carbonated, sugary, caffeinated drinks, that the quality of my life suffers. I fall asleep more easily after crashing or something, and it's tough to tell the order of events. My thoughts are a little more spastic, somehow.
So, price isn't a big factor. I'm just looking to find a 'dependable' / reliable water filter that will improve the taste and health with the water I enjoy.
Google product reviews are yet to lead me astray, and yet, TeamLiquid may have more sound advice. Suggestions appreciated!
Finally, I can put my engineering degree to use!
You're going to need a heavy-duty filtration unit to remove fluoride. Typical filters such as Brita use activated carbon to improve color and taste while the filter itself removes a good deal of suspended solids. Keep in mind that where water is concerned there is suspended solids and dissolved solids. A suspended solid is, say, a chunk of calcium a couple microns in thick. A dissolved solid is chemically dissociated in the water (such as landfill leachate).
I remember learning in my environmental engineering courses that fluorine is added to the water at the behest of politically active dentists. The regulation results are found here (http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/basicinformation/fluoride.cfm).
If you're THAT concerned then you need to either move to a city where waste water treatment plants do not add fluorine (Baton Rouge, where I currently live, does not (at least according to my dentist)) OR purchase a REALLY good filtration unit. For something like this I'd recommend reverse osmosis, though there would be high energy costs associated with its use. I suppose distillation could also work, but I'm having a hard time thinking off the top of my head if an ion exchanger (like a water softener) exists for fluorine......and after a two minute internet search I find that activated alumina works as an adsorbent, but the residence time isn't short. The problem with the alumina is the need to "recharge" through treatment with NaOH and H2SO4 which are not only extremely nasty for the environment but also regulated. I wouldn't really worry about getting sued since it's been established that one person isn't a point source, but maybe a household is.....
Anywho, it's going to be expensive and inconvenient to remove the fluoride. If it's just drinking water you're concerned about then you should consider drinking well water.
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^ Actually there's a number of companies that sell home reverse osmosis filters, my parents have one. They're not terribly expensive, and the maintenenance is fairly minimal.
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On May 26 2012 06:48 Servius_Fulvius wrote:Show nested quote +On May 26 2012 02:41 Failsafe wrote:
What's the best Water Filter that also removes Fluoride content? I've read disturbing things on Facebook about water available to public in the Eastern United States. Although I've drank similar water through my life, I'm willing to try a water filtration solution and see if it improves quality of life. I drink a lot of water because I try to avoid caffeinated beverages and drinks with lots of sugar.
I feel like if I drink drinks with too much sugar or caffeinated drinks, especially carbonated, sugary, caffeinated drinks, that the quality of my life suffers. I fall asleep more easily after crashing or something, and it's tough to tell the order of events. My thoughts are a little more spastic, somehow.
So, price isn't a big factor. I'm just looking to find a 'dependable' / reliable water filter that will improve the taste and health with the water I enjoy.
Google product reviews are yet to lead me astray, and yet, TeamLiquid may have more sound advice. Suggestions appreciated! Finally, I can put my engineering degree to use! You're going to need a heavy-duty filtration unit to remove fluoride. Typical filters such as Brita use activated carbon to improve color and taste while the filter itself removes a good deal of suspended solids. Keep in mind that where water is concerned there is suspended solids and dissolved solids. A suspended solid is, say, a chunk of calcium a couple microns in thick. A dissolved solid is chemically dissociated in the water (such as landfill leachate). I remember learning in my environmental engineering courses that fluorine is added to the water at the behest of politically active dentists. The regulation results are found here (http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/basicinformation/fluoride.cfm). If you're THAT concerned then you need to either move to a city where waste water treatment plants do not add fluorine (Baton Rouge, where I currently live, does not (at least according to my dentist)) OR purchase a REALLY good filtration unit. For something like this I'd recommend reverse osmosis, though there would be high energy costs associated with its use. I suppose distillation could also work, but I'm having a hard time thinking off the top of my head if an ion exchanger (like a water softener) exists for fluorine......and after a two minute internet search I find that activated alumina works, but the residence time isn't short. The problem with the alumina is the need to "recharge" through treatment with NaOH and H2SO4 which are not only extremely nasty for the environment but also regulated. I wouldn't really worry about getting sued since it's been established that one person isn't a point source, but maybe a household is..... Anywho, it's going to be expensive and inconvenient to remove the fluoride. If it's just drinking water you're concerned about then you should consider drinking well water.
Correct me if I'm wrong here since water chemistry is by no means my strong suit but reverse osmosis can only filter out ions that are larger then water. Fluoride is the smallest ion known to man (smaller then H+ since hydronium ions are actually H30+) therefore there is no way that you can filter out Fluoride. Therefore unless proven wrong I stand by my original statement that no filters could filter out fluoride. Distillation is the only way to go.
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On May 26 2012 07:00 FryBender wrote:Show nested quote +On May 26 2012 06:48 Servius_Fulvius wrote:On May 26 2012 02:41 Failsafe wrote:
What's the best Water Filter that also removes Fluoride content? I've read disturbing things on Facebook about water available to public in the Eastern United States. Although I've drank similar water through my life, I'm willing to try a water filtration solution and see if it improves quality of life. I drink a lot of water because I try to avoid caffeinated beverages and drinks with lots of sugar.
I feel like if I drink drinks with too much sugar or caffeinated drinks, especially carbonated, sugary, caffeinated drinks, that the quality of my life suffers. I fall asleep more easily after crashing or something, and it's tough to tell the order of events. My thoughts are a little more spastic, somehow.
So, price isn't a big factor. I'm just looking to find a 'dependable' / reliable water filter that will improve the taste and health with the water I enjoy.
Google product reviews are yet to lead me astray, and yet, TeamLiquid may have more sound advice. Suggestions appreciated! Finally, I can put my engineering degree to use! You're going to need a heavy-duty filtration unit to remove fluoride. Typical filters such as Brita use activated carbon to improve color and taste while the filter itself removes a good deal of suspended solids. Keep in mind that where water is concerned there is suspended solids and dissolved solids. A suspended solid is, say, a chunk of calcium a couple microns in thick. A dissolved solid is chemically dissociated in the water (such as landfill leachate). I remember learning in my environmental engineering courses that fluorine is added to the water at the behest of politically active dentists. The regulation results are found here (http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/basicinformation/fluoride.cfm). If you're THAT concerned then you need to either move to a city where waste water treatment plants do not add fluorine (Baton Rouge, where I currently live, does not (at least according to my dentist)) OR purchase a REALLY good filtration unit. For something like this I'd recommend reverse osmosis, though there would be high energy costs associated with its use. I suppose distillation could also work, but I'm having a hard time thinking off the top of my head if an ion exchanger (like a water softener) exists for fluorine......and after a two minute internet search I find that activated alumina works, but the residence time isn't short. The problem with the alumina is the need to "recharge" through treatment with NaOH and H2SO4 which are not only extremely nasty for the environment but also regulated. I wouldn't really worry about getting sued since it's been established that one person isn't a point source, but maybe a household is..... Anywho, it's going to be expensive and inconvenient to remove the fluoride. If it's just drinking water you're concerned about then you should consider drinking well water. Correct me if I'm wrong here since water chemistry is by no means my strong suit but reverse osmosis can only filter out ions that are larger then water. Fluoride is the smallest ion known to man (smaller then H+ since hydronium ions are actually H30+) therefore there is no way that you can filter out Fluoride. Therefore unless proven wrong I stand by my original statement that no filters could filter out fluoride. Distillation is the only way to go.
But you're not adding Floride Ions to the water. Water Floridation is accomplished by adding either Sodium Floride (the stuff from your toothpaste) or Fluorosilicic acid or it's derivative Sodium fluorosilicate; both of which are by-products of Fertilizer manufacturing. The latter two are in fact darn big compounds.
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Hong Kong9169 Posts
On May 26 2012 02:41 Failsafe wrote:
What's the best Water Filter that also removes Fluoride content? I've read disturbing things on Facebook about water available to public in the Eastern United States. Although I've drank similar water through my life, I'm willing to try a water filtration solution and see if it improves quality of life.
I drink normal tap water and my precious bodily fluids are intact.
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On May 26 2012 07:05 TheToast wrote:Show nested quote +On May 26 2012 07:00 FryBender wrote:On May 26 2012 06:48 Servius_Fulvius wrote:On May 26 2012 02:41 Failsafe wrote:
What's the best Water Filter that also removes Fluoride content? I've read disturbing things on Facebook about water available to public in the Eastern United States. Although I've drank similar water through my life, I'm willing to try a water filtration solution and see if it improves quality of life. I drink a lot of water because I try to avoid caffeinated beverages and drinks with lots of sugar.
I feel like if I drink drinks with too much sugar or caffeinated drinks, especially carbonated, sugary, caffeinated drinks, that the quality of my life suffers. I fall asleep more easily after crashing or something, and it's tough to tell the order of events. My thoughts are a little more spastic, somehow.
So, price isn't a big factor. I'm just looking to find a 'dependable' / reliable water filter that will improve the taste and health with the water I enjoy.
Google product reviews are yet to lead me astray, and yet, TeamLiquid may have more sound advice. Suggestions appreciated! Finally, I can put my engineering degree to use! You're going to need a heavy-duty filtration unit to remove fluoride. Typical filters such as Brita use activated carbon to improve color and taste while the filter itself removes a good deal of suspended solids. Keep in mind that where water is concerned there is suspended solids and dissolved solids. A suspended solid is, say, a chunk of calcium a couple microns in thick. A dissolved solid is chemically dissociated in the water (such as landfill leachate). I remember learning in my environmental engineering courses that fluorine is added to the water at the behest of politically active dentists. The regulation results are found here (http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/basicinformation/fluoride.cfm). If you're THAT concerned then you need to either move to a city where waste water treatment plants do not add fluorine (Baton Rouge, where I currently live, does not (at least according to my dentist)) OR purchase a REALLY good filtration unit. For something like this I'd recommend reverse osmosis, though there would be high energy costs associated with its use. I suppose distillation could also work, but I'm having a hard time thinking off the top of my head if an ion exchanger (like a water softener) exists for fluorine......and after a two minute internet search I find that activated alumina works, but the residence time isn't short. The problem with the alumina is the need to "recharge" through treatment with NaOH and H2SO4 which are not only extremely nasty for the environment but also regulated. I wouldn't really worry about getting sued since it's been established that one person isn't a point source, but maybe a household is..... Anywho, it's going to be expensive and inconvenient to remove the fluoride. If it's just drinking water you're concerned about then you should consider drinking well water. Correct me if I'm wrong here since water chemistry is by no means my strong suit but reverse osmosis can only filter out ions that are larger then water. Fluoride is the smallest ion known to man (smaller then H+ since hydronium ions are actually H30+) therefore there is no way that you can filter out Fluoride. Therefore unless proven wrong I stand by my original statement that no filters could filter out fluoride. Distillation is the only way to go. But you're not adding Floride Ions to the water. Water Floridation is accomplished by adding either Sodium Floride (the stuff from your toothpaste) or Fluorosilicic acid or it's derivative Sodium fluorosilicate; both of which are by-products of Fertilizer manufacturing. The latter two are in fact darn big compounds.
And in water all of these things disociate into a fluoride ions and it's counterion (for fluorosilicate the process is a little more complex but in the end you still simply get a F-) which is what the OP is so afraid of in the first place.
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United Kingdom3482 Posts
On May 26 2012 07:00 FryBender wrote:Show nested quote +On May 26 2012 06:48 Servius_Fulvius wrote:On May 26 2012 02:41 Failsafe wrote:
What's the best Water Filter that also removes Fluoride content? I've read disturbing things on Facebook about water available to public in the Eastern United States. Although I've drank similar water through my life, I'm willing to try a water filtration solution and see if it improves quality of life. I drink a lot of water because I try to avoid caffeinated beverages and drinks with lots of sugar.
I feel like if I drink drinks with too much sugar or caffeinated drinks, especially carbonated, sugary, caffeinated drinks, that the quality of my life suffers. I fall asleep more easily after crashing or something, and it's tough to tell the order of events. My thoughts are a little more spastic, somehow.
So, price isn't a big factor. I'm just looking to find a 'dependable' / reliable water filter that will improve the taste and health with the water I enjoy.
Google product reviews are yet to lead me astray, and yet, TeamLiquid may have more sound advice. Suggestions appreciated! Finally, I can put my engineering degree to use! You're going to need a heavy-duty filtration unit to remove fluoride. Typical filters such as Brita use activated carbon to improve color and taste while the filter itself removes a good deal of suspended solids. Keep in mind that where water is concerned there is suspended solids and dissolved solids. A suspended solid is, say, a chunk of calcium a couple microns in thick. A dissolved solid is chemically dissociated in the water (such as landfill leachate). I remember learning in my environmental engineering courses that fluorine is added to the water at the behest of politically active dentists. The regulation results are found here (http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/basicinformation/fluoride.cfm). If you're THAT concerned then you need to either move to a city where waste water treatment plants do not add fluorine (Baton Rouge, where I currently live, does not (at least according to my dentist)) OR purchase a REALLY good filtration unit. For something like this I'd recommend reverse osmosis, though there would be high energy costs associated with its use. I suppose distillation could also work, but I'm having a hard time thinking off the top of my head if an ion exchanger (like a water softener) exists for fluorine......and after a two minute internet search I find that activated alumina works, but the residence time isn't short. The problem with the alumina is the need to "recharge" through treatment with NaOH and H2SO4 which are not only extremely nasty for the environment but also regulated. I wouldn't really worry about getting sued since it's been established that one person isn't a point source, but maybe a household is..... Anywho, it's going to be expensive and inconvenient to remove the fluoride. If it's just drinking water you're concerned about then you should consider drinking well water. Correct me if I'm wrong here since water chemistry is by no means my strong suit but reverse osmosis can only filter out ions that are larger then water. Fluoride is the smallest ion known to man (smaller then H+ since hydronium ions are actually H30+) therefore there is no way that you can filter out Fluoride. Therefore unless proven wrong I stand by my original statement that no filters could filter out fluoride. Distillation is the only way to go.
You might be right about not being able to use a physical filter for fluoride ions. However you could use a chemical that would create a precipitate with the flouride, for example silver chloride.
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On May 26 2012 07:00 FryBender wrote:Show nested quote +On May 26 2012 06:48 Servius_Fulvius wrote:On May 26 2012 02:41 Failsafe wrote:
What's the best Water Filter that also removes Fluoride content? I've read disturbing things on Facebook about water available to public in the Eastern United States. Although I've drank similar water through my life, I'm willing to try a water filtration solution and see if it improves quality of life. I drink a lot of water because I try to avoid caffeinated beverages and drinks with lots of sugar.
I feel like if I drink drinks with too much sugar or caffeinated drinks, especially carbonated, sugary, caffeinated drinks, that the quality of my life suffers. I fall asleep more easily after crashing or something, and it's tough to tell the order of events. My thoughts are a little more spastic, somehow.
So, price isn't a big factor. I'm just looking to find a 'dependable' / reliable water filter that will improve the taste and health with the water I enjoy.
Google product reviews are yet to lead me astray, and yet, TeamLiquid may have more sound advice. Suggestions appreciated! Finally, I can put my engineering degree to use! You're going to need a heavy-duty filtration unit to remove fluoride. Typical filters such as Brita use activated carbon to improve color and taste while the filter itself removes a good deal of suspended solids. Keep in mind that where water is concerned there is suspended solids and dissolved solids. A suspended solid is, say, a chunk of calcium a couple microns in thick. A dissolved solid is chemically dissociated in the water (such as landfill leachate). I remember learning in my environmental engineering courses that fluorine is added to the water at the behest of politically active dentists. The regulation results are found here (http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/basicinformation/fluoride.cfm). If you're THAT concerned then you need to either move to a city where waste water treatment plants do not add fluorine (Baton Rouge, where I currently live, does not (at least according to my dentist)) OR purchase a REALLY good filtration unit. For something like this I'd recommend reverse osmosis, though there would be high energy costs associated with its use. I suppose distillation could also work, but I'm having a hard time thinking off the top of my head if an ion exchanger (like a water softener) exists for fluorine......and after a two minute internet search I find that activated alumina works, but the residence time isn't short. The problem with the alumina is the need to "recharge" through treatment with NaOH and H2SO4 which are not only extremely nasty for the environment but also regulated. I wouldn't really worry about getting sued since it's been established that one person isn't a point source, but maybe a household is..... Anywho, it's going to be expensive and inconvenient to remove the fluoride. If it's just drinking water you're concerned about then you should consider drinking well water. Correct me if I'm wrong here since water chemistry is by no means my strong suit but reverse osmosis can only filter out ions that are larger then water. Fluoride is the smallest ion known to man (smaller then H+ since hydronium ions are actually H30+) therefore there is no way that you can filter out Fluoride. Therefore unless proven wrong I stand by my original statement that no filters could filter out fluoride. Distillation is the only way to go.
Fluorine is the smallest ELEMENT of the periodic table. We're talking about the fluoride ION. When you add electron density to an element you add more negative charge which shields the other ions from the nucleus. This increases the ionic radius: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Atomic_&_ionic_radii.svg
Literally every single scientific article I can find says that fluoride is removed through RO. Here's one from the University of Nebraska (See Table 1): http://elkhorn.unl.edu/epublic/live/g1490/build/g1490.pdf
Let's assume that you are correct and fluoride passes through RO with water. This would mean another membrane is necessary to remove the fluoride and exclude the water.
I'm also going to edit a mistake on my last post. I said activated alumina was an ion exchanger when it's definitely an adsorbent :3
Edit: Here's something from scientific literature: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0160412083900879
I know you can't read the article, but the results in the abstract are proof enough for me.
Edit2: I've been looking through the literature and found some interesting correlations. First of all, using an ion exchange resin would reduce the amount of fluoride, but this would be at the expense of whatever else was put into the water. Strong acid resins (Amberlyst, Nafion, etc.) would likely raise the pH to an unhealthy level. Cellulose acetate was one material that kept popping up and I'm sure fluoride can exchange with acetate given the right conditions (if it's soluble). Also, one article analyzed the reject stream and found four times the amount of CaF2. This is insoluble and likely reacts more due to the higher pressure. It could be that the filter isn't the main mechanism, rather, the pressure and availability of reacting cations along with ion exchange. When you put it that way RO "technically" removes the fluoride, but physical filtration isn't the primary cause. I'm in agreement that fluoride is smaller than the hydronium ion, so I would assume the reactive forces are stronger than mass transport.
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On May 26 2012 06:51 TheToast wrote:
^ Actually there's a number of companies that sell home reverse osmosis filters, my parents have one. They're not terribly expensive, and the maintenenance is fairly minimal.
Really? That's cool! You need a large pressure gradient to run RO, so this is where the energy costs exists. I was consulting with a paper company a few years ago and we recommended a wastewater filter over an RO unit because of the HUGE energy costs. I'd still be skeptical about how well it works and it's longevity, though.
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I wish someone could invent a time machine and go back in time to tell high school me to do better in Chemistry because you can troll better on Teamliquid.
That said apparently this blog eventually stopped trolling and started discussing water filtration. TheToast is really bored. 
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On May 26 2012 07:37 Servius_Fulvius wrote:Show nested quote +On May 26 2012 06:51 TheToast wrote:
^ Actually there's a number of companies that sell home reverse osmosis filters, my parents have one. They're not terribly expensive, and the maintenenance is fairly minimal. Really? That's cool! You need a large pressure gradient to run RO, so this is where the energy costs exists. I was consulting with a paper company a few years ago and we recommended a wastewater filter over an RO unit because of the HUGE energy costs. I'd still be skeptical about how well it works and it's longevity, though.
It's actually a very small unit that slowly fills a holding tank under the sink, and pressure inside the holding tank forces the water out a separate faucet near the sink. It works really well, and filter maintenance is pretty infrequent. But the amount of water we're talking about here is minimal, as in at most a few gallons per day. So very different from an industrial scale system.
If you're interested there's more information on the specific system here: http://www.culligansoftwaterexperts.com/promo/good-water-machine.php
I think the offer higher end versions as well.
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On May 26 2012 06:48 Servius_Fulvius wrote:
I remember learning in my environmental engineering courses that fluorine is added to the water at the behest of politically active dentists. The regulation results are found here (http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/basicinformation/fluoride.cfm).
I'm glad you're one of the people who chose to actually post something helpful instead of making fun of the guy like most other people .
It looks like there are two standards set forth by the EPA - the maximum contaminant level goal (MCLG) and the secondary maximum contaminant level (SMCL). The first is enforced, but the second is recommended and can be enforced if states wish to do so. The MCLG, and its realistic counterpart based on existing technologies - the MCL, sets the concentration of fluorine at 4.0 mg/L. But the SMCL is set at 2.0 mg/L - mainly to prevent negative cosmetic or aesthetic effects (tooth discolouration, taste, colour...).
From the quoted website:
EPA recommends secondary standards to water systems but does not require systems to comply. However, states may choose to adopt them as enforceable standards. Tooth discoloration and/or pitting is caused by excess fluoride exposures during the formative period prior to eruption of the teeth in children.
So it looks like in adults current fluorination levels aren't a big deal, its just kids that need a higher standard than normal. Although I think you bring up a good point in general about water filtration for other impurities and trying to drink healthier in general. I'm sure tap water is good enough to drink, but who says you can't make it healthier? Maybe it would be best to stick with a Brita water filter for now as its supposed to remove lead content and some chlorine byproducts, which have some studies show leads to a higher risk of certain cancers.
Here's what Health Canada has to say on chlorine as a reference - it looks like they recommend people use activated carbon filters to remove chlorine and its byproducts, so Brita would seem like a good consumer-friendly option! (Chlorine is used to kill bacteria in the pipes as they travel to your home, so overall its much more beneficial to your health to have that in the water. Its just not needed once it comes out of your faucet!)
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On May 26 2012 10:44 radscorpion9 wrote:Show nested quote +On May 26 2012 06:48 Servius_Fulvius wrote:
I remember learning in my environmental engineering courses that fluorine is added to the water at the behest of politically active dentists. The regulation results are found here (http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/basicinformation/fluoride.cfm).
I'm glad you're one of the people who chose to actually post something helpful instead of making fun of the guy like most other people . It looks like there are two standards set forth by the EPA - the maximum contaminant level goal (MCLG) and the secondary maximum contaminant level (SMCL). The first is enforced, but the second is recommended and can be enforced if states wish to do so. The MCLG, and its realistic counterpart based on existing technologies - the MCL, sets the concentration of fluorine at 4.0 mg/L. But the SMCL is set at 2.0 mg/L - mainly to prevent negative cosmetic or aesthetic effects (tooth discolouration, taste, colour...). From the quoted website: Show nested quote +EPA recommends secondary standards to water systems but does not require systems to comply. However, states may choose to adopt them as enforceable standards. Tooth discoloration and/or pitting is caused by excess fluoride exposures during the formative period prior to eruption of the teeth in children. So it looks like in adults current fluorination levels aren't a big deal, its just kids that need a higher standard than normal. Although I think you bring up a good point in general about water filtration for other impurities and trying to drink healthier in general. I'm sure tap water is good enough to drink, but who says you can't make it healthier? Maybe it would be best to stick with a Brita water filter for now as its supposed to remove lead content and some chlorine byproducts, which have some studies show leads to a higher risk of certain cancers. Here's what Health Canada has to say on chlorine as a reference - it looks like they recommend people use activated carbon filters to remove chlorine and its byproducts, so Brita would seem like a good consumer-friendly option! (Chlorine is used to kill bacteria in the pipes as they travel to your home, so overall its much more beneficial to your health to have that in the water. Its just not needed once it comes out of your faucet!)
Brita is a nice option for anyone who wants to raise the quality of their water, even if it's just a little bit. I mentioned before, but I get a kick out of the looks in people's faces when you tell them what Brita doesn't remove. I swear, some people seem to believe it's a magical purification unit!
I'm also curious about toothpaste. It's been proven that excess medications make their way into the water supply where they slowly build up. I'm curious if the toothpaste we spit down the drain undergoes the same process. We're talking small concentrations, but I'm curious if they build up anywhere or if they just react with other minerals.
I'm also half convinced the OP is a troll given all the troll responses, but hey, it's the internet!
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On May 26 2012 03:49 Ahzz wrote:
Try to filter all the water you consume through a siff for example to remove any possible remnants of copper and iron etc that the water may have gathered through the pipes before getting to you. Next, boil your water to remove most common bacteria from it. Let it cool off if you prefer to drink your water cold, but beware, leaving it outside to cool can infect it with deadly germs or even scorpions and spiders. If you cool it off too much it may turn solid, leaving the chance for suffocation.
Rofl Some ppl still do just that.
Rather buy this
www.shoprite.com/pd/Poland-Spring/Water-Jug-5-Gallon/640-fl-oz/075720503568/
19 liters for 13$. Im sure theres cheaper offbrand water for twice as little money. That should satisfy you for couple weeks, unless you drink nonstop. Changing water filters given they dont even filter everything out, then boiling is probably costly too and time consuming.
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My personal theory is that if you avoid these insignificant amounts of chemicals your immune system be compromised. Essentially, these everyday chemicals we eat, drink, breathe helps us build our general defense against other shit in general.
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United States43620 Posts
On May 26 2012 12:34 Zariel wrote:
My personal theory is that if you avoid these insignificant amounts of chemicals your immune system be compromised. Essentially, these everyday chemicals we eat, drink, breathe helps us build our general defense against other shit in general.
I personally rub myself with bullets daily, it's like a vaccine against gunshot wounds. My immune system is in some way involved.
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On May 26 2012 12:34 Zariel wrote:
My personal theory is that if you avoid these insignificant amounts of chemicals your immune system be compromised. Essentially, these everyday chemicals we eat, drink, breathe helps us build our general defense against other shit in general.
Please explain the bio mechanics of this, or at least how you envision that it works.
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EPT
