But, it is good to know a little more about such a water filter so you [...]]]> There is no doubt whatsoever of the fact that reverse osmosis as a water purification technique is probably one of the best there is. So, buying a reverse osmosis purification system should be a pretty easy decision to make.

But, it is good to know a little more about such a water filter so you know exactly:

• how much you will need to pay to install it
• what would be the operational costs
• when you would need to replace the various parts and components of this system
• what would be the degree to which the water will get purified

Ideally, you should read articles such as this and stock up on information about reverse osmosis systems.

Why is an RO system popular?

If you were to look into the number of water purification technologies that people invest in, you would find that an RO system ranks pretty high in popularity. This is because it is probably one of the most effective systems that can be utilized for residential and commercial purpose. Basically, a reverse osmosis system works on nano filtration processes or the use of a semi permeable membrane which cleanses the water as it passes through. It can get rid of most of the contaminants that are contained in water.

Stages used in an RO device

Most devices have something known as a four stage purification process. Others have a five stage purification process. Depending on the device that you are looking at, these processes can include:

• use of a micron sediment filter
• a carbon block filter
• the semipermeable membrane
• other filters which continue to clean up the water on its way

Getting into the technical aspects

Most websites of companies that deal with reverse osmosis systems will give you plenty of information on the technology aspect. For instance, it would be good to know about the kind of membranes that go into the making of your water filter system. Did you know that there is something known as different grading of micron. A leading company could state that they use a 5 micron filter.

You may also like to find out whether the RO system finds certification with the NSF or National Sanitation Foundation. The specific standards that deal with drinking water purification systems are Standards 42, 53 and 58 with 58 being specific to RO water purification systems.

Interestingly, a water purification system can be called as an RO system only when they adhere to a certain pressure rating. For instance, there are some membranes that operate at a 20 psi rating and in reality this does not qualify as an RO system.

Components of a RO system

When you decide to buy a Reverse Osmosis system, it will also be worthwhile to check out the aspects pertaining to:

• the kind of contaminants and even minerals and metals that can remove
• whether the NSF has certified its storage tank
• whether it has an automatic shut-off mechanism to minimize the wastage of water
• how often you will have to replace faucets, pipes and the semipermeable membrane
• what the capacity of the RO device per day would be and accordingly decide whether it is fit for your family’s consumption.

James is a wirter and blogger with 5 years experience.

We need this fluid to imbibe, of course, but it’s also important for washing our food and clothing, as well as for cooking and bathing.

The [...]]]> We only have a few real needs in life, like shelter, clothing and nourishment. However, the most important thing is one many of us take for granted: clean water.

We need this fluid to imbibe, of course, but it’s also important for washing our food and clothing, as well as for cooking and bathing.

The key is that this liquid must be clean enough to consume, and that can be hard with the many minerals, chemicals and microorganisms that may be floating around in it.

Whole-house filtration is one way to ensure that what enters your home is crystal clear and immaculate for all sorts of uses.

Here are four benefits to these systems.

1) They Can Take on a Variety of Contaminants with Cutting-Edge Technology

Most people would be shocked by the amount of unwanted stuff they might have in their drinking fluids.

As far as organic substances, there can be a surplus of manganese, iron bacteria, Coliform and even E. coli.

Chlorine is another common complaint, as are the spots and deposits that are a sign of unbalanced, hard water.

We can’t usually see, smell or taste even scarier ingredients, which can include chemicals and mixtures of substances like PCBs, fertilizer compounds and more.

Luckily, high-end solutions have pre-sediment filter cartridges that sift through your fluids in multiple stages. These act like high-tech sieves that remove particles of all sizes and use UV sterilization at the end.

2) You Can Use Them for Municipal or Well-Originating Supplies

Although this is a very good way to treat caches from wells, those who receive municipal reserves can also use a whole-house filtration system.

Even though towns, villages and cities test their water for consumption, they don’t have to make sure it tastes good. When you have high-performance filtration, yours can taste just like bottled varieties most of the time.

3) You Don’t Need to Treat Different Household Zones Separately

A lot of people choose to use items like softeners or screw-on faucet filters. While these products may work fine, the problem with them is that they only target one room or need within the home.

Holistic arrangements catch liquid as it enters the house, so it’s all treated at once and distributed to each location in the dwelling afterward.

4) Top Systems are Gentle on the Environment

Another problem with other kinds of H2O management is that they can be pretty harsh on the planet. Softeners add harmful salts to the groundwater, and screw-on products create a lot of waste.

Some whole-house setups use organic matter to filter and can go a decade or so before replacement, which is more Earth-friendly.

Surf the Web to discover methods like LifeSource Water that give you delicious, pure H2O on demand.

Becky loves to write. Her favorite subject to write about is water conservation. If you’d like more information regarding LifeSource Water, please visit https://www.lifesourcewater.com/

The dangers of lead may sound like something your parents warned you about when you were a child, and may seem old fashioned, but getting exposed to too much lead [...]]]> 2521

The dangers of lead may sound like something your parents warned you about when you were a child, and may seem old fashioned, but getting exposed to too much lead is as real of a possibility as it was in the 1950s. Although lead levels in blood today is much lower than it was a few decades ago, new studies show that lead levels once thought to be safe and healthy are now dangerous. Here are a few of the most common, yet unexpected, places where lead may lurk in your life, and what you can do to help prevent lead exposure to keep your lead levels low and healthy.

Home Renovations

Alright this one may not be the most unexpected place to find lead, but any home renovation can stir up dormant lead, and you may be at risk of lead exposure during one. After 1978, all paint was required to be lead free, and although there were many lead free paints used prior to 1978, you should always assume you’re dealing with lead paint if you’re renovating a home built prior to 1978. Also, lead levels that were considered safe in 1980 are considered extremely dangerous today. During construction, seal off all windows and air vents and do a thorough cleanup after their work is done. You may want to bite the bullet (we’ll get to that later) and call 800-424-5323 to hire a certified lead tester. If they find abnormally high levels of paint, then you will need to hire a professional lead removal service.

Hunting and Fishing Equipment

Many old bullets and sinkers and lures carry unsafe levels of lead. Meat may be unsafe to eat if you used lead bullets, as well as meat from fishing lures and sinkers. It’s always a good habit to leave your fishing equipment outside or in a shed and not in your living environment. Also, you can always replace your old equipment with lead free bullets and fishing equipment.

Gardening

When doing your gardening, learn a bit about the history of the soil beneath your feet. If you’re gardening in a spot near an older building, where a building used to exist, or in an urban environment in general, the soil may contain high traces of lead from paint or other products with lead traces. It’s much safer (and probably better for your garden) to use topsoil or soil from an external source. When gardening, use gloves and wash your hands thoroughly. Leave your gardening shoes outside, and avoid tracking additional dirt into your home. Wash vegetables thoroughly and peel the surfaces of any root vegetables.

Ceramic Dishes

Many dishware companies have been known to have their products recalled for having excessively high levels of lead. You shouldn’t need to worry about any dishes on the market today, but be wary of older ceramic dishes from the 1960’s or earlier. Never microwave older dishes or ceramic dishes and use glass instead. Any increase in heat can cause lead leaching, and microwaving dishes can crack and damage them, which exposes lead that was previously sealed inside.

Your Own Bones

Shockingly enough, you are at a far greater risk of experiencing lead poisoning symptoms after fracturing a bone. Lead in your body usually remains dormant in your bones, and a bone fracture results in more lead in your bloodstream that travels throughout your body. Other situations where bone is being replaced at a fast rate include menopause and during pregnancy. Women in particular are at risk of osteoporosis and should be certain that they are getting enough calcium in their diet.

Featured images:

•  License: Creative Commons image source

Charles Janick enjoys writing about environmental and eco-friendly topics. For more information on removing lead from contaminated buildings, visit PM Environmental’s lead remediation services page.

Distilled water was around long before the benefits of alkaline water were popularized, and it is still widely marketed and consumed today. But do you know what really happens to [...]]]> Drinking pure, clean water is a cornerstone of health, and you should pay close attention to the purity and quality of the water you consume.

Distilled water was around long before the benefits of alkaline water were popularized, and it is still widely marketed and consumed today. But do you know what really happens to water when it is distilled, and how it can affect your body?

Why Distilled Water Is Hardly Recommended

To make distilled water, water is boiled and evaporated away from its dissolved minerals. The vapor is condensed, and the resulting water droplets are collected.

Distilled water is an active absorber; it quickly absorbs carbon dioxide and becomes acidic when it makes contact with air.

Since it is free of dissolved minerals and other particles, distilled water has the ability to absorb toxic substances from your body and eliminate them.

Distilled water may be helpful when you’re detoxifying for a week or two. But the longer you drink it, the more likely you are to develop mineral deficiencies and an acidic state.

You run the risk of rapidly losing electrolytes – sodium, potassium, and chloride – and trace minerals. This can cause cardiac irregularities, high blood pressure, and emotional or cognitive disturbances.

In a paper by the World Health Organization, water low in calcium and magnesium, such as distilled water, is linked to a number of health concerns:

• Higher risk of bone fracture in children
• Cardiovascular disease
• Neurodegenerative diseases
• Motor-neuronal diseases
• Pre-term birth, low birth weight, and preeclampsia (or high blood pressure during pregnancy)
• Acute magnesium and calcium deficiency, weakness, fatigue, and muscle cramping
• Various types of cancer
• Increased risk of “sudden death”

However, the problem with distilled water doesn’t end in potential mineral deficiencies.

How Distillation Worsens the Presence of Toxic Water Contaminants

The dangers of disinfection byproducts (DBPs) in most treated water supplies, such as trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs), are created when chlorine and other water treatment disinfectants react with natural organic matter present in the source water.

Studies show that DBPs are over 10,000 times more toxic than chlorine. Of all the toxins and contaminants present in water (including fluoride and pharmaceutical drugs), DBPs may be the worst.

Distilling water actually worsens the presence of these toxic contaminants in water. This is because anything that vaporizes at a lower temperature than water, such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and THMs, will also be boiled and condensed.

While the heavy metals are left behind (e.g. lead will not vaporize), chlorine will still change into chloroform during distillation and will still be present in your distilled water. Not only will distillation fail to remove DBPs, but it may also deliver a more concentrated dose of them.

Stick to Pure, Clean Drinking Water

Distilled water is expensive, energy-intensive, and does not remove VOCs or DBPs. It draws out chemicals and metal contaminants from whatever containers it’s stored in, and it leaches minerals from your body, potentially leading to health problems.

It may aid in short-term detoxification, but the drawbacks outweigh the perceived benefits.

What you should aim to have is pure, clean water – not too alkaline, not too acidic. The pH of your water should ideally be close to 7 (neutral). Somewhere between 6.5 to 7.5 is acceptable.

Most mountain springs, for instance, have water in the 6.5 pH range. You can collect your own water from natural springs (check this listing of spring water sources) if they are readily accessible.[N1]

Additionally, you can normalize your pH not by drinking alkaline or distilled water, but by simply juicing vegetables.

It is also recommended to use a reliable water filtration system at home for the purity and protection of your family’s drinking water.

[N1]There’s a site where you can find locations of spring water near you. You should

Pamela Schroots is currently creating a report on the benefits of using a whole house water filter for all-around protection of your water for drinking, showering, and household needs. She is also a business intrepreneur and a mother of two lovely kids.

Yet as our cities have continued to grow in size they [...]]]> Once upon a time, we all lived in small tribes that became villages, which then became towns with streets on where we all knew each other’s names, kept our doors unlocked and our pin-numbers unshielded; or so our grandparents tell us. It seems ideal.

Yet as our cities have continued to grow in size they cohere less and less, until they almost spontaneously branch off into their own little villages or familiar communities again. Active members within these are often inclined to explore methods of self-sufficiency and greener alternatives to those offered by profit-centred corporations. Hence we have seen an increase in the popularity of Archimedes’ screws, carbon neutrality and rainwater harvesting in towns and cities across the globe.

So let’s take look at some of the sustainable methods that are being used to create a greater sense of self-sufficiency.

The History of Hydroponics

Hydroponics is a form of soilless cultivation; specifically that which involves mineral nutrient solutions. In the UK it was first brought to public attention by Francis Bacon. Bacon may be best known for his 17th century scientific philosophy or his role as Lord Chancellor for which he was publically disgraced after it was revealed that he enjoyed accepting bribes, although some suggest that he may have conceded to these allegations in order to distract from rumours of his homosexuality. He also wrote a book on growing plants in water after which the research into soilless cultivation (or ‘solution culture’) became quite popular.

The term “hydroponics” itself was coined by American William Gericke in 1937. An academic in California, known as Gericke, was a proponent of solution culture being used for industrial scale agriculture rather than small-scale experiments. To prove the legitimacy of his claim, he proceeded to grow 25-feet long tomato vines in his garden from mineral nutrient solutions (the tomato vine is typically only 3-10 feet long).

Gericke’s success led to a great enthusiasm of interest in hydroponics, but Gericke became increasingly reluctant to share his secrets. Later research into his claims found that they were exaggerated and that hydroponic crop yields were no more significant than those from good soil.

Nevertheless, interest in other advantages connected with hydroponics has endured with research into hydroponic techniques continuing in institutions that vary from Disneyworld displays to NASA space travel.

Water + Labour = Solution Culture?

One of the major difficulties that most growers face is balancing the need for water amongst their crops as most will either over or under water. However, as those crops grown in liquid have constant access to water, the crops themselves decide when to take in H2O and when to stop. Therefore the process enables the optimum conditions for stable and high yield food production.

Other advantages tend to be practical. For instance, the absence of soil is convenient for some parched environments and is logistically less demanding. Additionally, the water is recyclable and therefore this reduces costs, making hydroponic produce more profitable. Finally, the lack of pesticides and contaminants produce healthier crops that are better for us as consumers.

The down side is that hydroponic systems tend to be less robust than soil-based systems. It is great when all goes well, but if something goes slightly wrong then it is likely that you plants will die.

Recycling, Repurposing and Reviving

Interestingly in Dalston a collective of farmers, engineers and artists have established an enterprise known as “FARM:shop”. Essentially this is a project attempting to engage the local community with issues relating to sustainability in a fun and confident way.

There is an aquaponic system in which fish poo fertilises the floating vegetation, a hot room for chillies that heats the building, a popular café and livestock such as pigs and chickens. On the one hand, the project aims to engage locals in alternative ways to generate produce whilst on the other; it hopes to collect data on the feasibility of sustainable ways to grow food. The entire project relies on the recycled, repurposed and revived – coming in at a cost of less than £3,000.

As such, FARM:shop is an interactive experiment which explores the possibilities of using hydroponics to develop areas and to showcase elements of sustainability and self-sufficiency in a bid to renew our relationship with the planet that feeds us.

Sally Dimmock is a writer who believes that methods of self-sufficiency should be used for both small and large scale purposes. If you wish to try incorporating into your garden hydroponics, East London experts can help you to make your garden become more self-sufficient.