Clean water is important for homes and buildings. There are several good ways to purify water, each with benefits and downsides. Two common choices are ozone treatment and reverse osmosis filters.
Both get water clean by removing things that can make people sick, but they work in different ways. Knowing the benefits and side effects helps pick which is better for your needs and water problems.
Also, read our recent blog post about Whether Boiled Water is the Same as Filtered Water?
What is Ozone Water?
Ozone water is a type of treated water that uses ozone gas to purify drinking water. Ozone, also known as trioxygen, is an unstable molecule made up of three oxygen atoms that are introduced into water to kill germs and other contaminants.
The ozone gas is bubbled into or sprayed into water and the high-energy ozone molecules act as a disinfectant by destroying bacteria, viruses, and other microbes quickly and leaving no harmful chemical residue behind.
Benefits of Ozone Water
Ozone water treatment provides several advantages over other purification methods. It acts rapidly to neutralize microbes without lingering chemicals.
1. Effective Disinfection
Ozone is a powerful disinfectant that can kill most bacteria, viruses, and parasites in water much more effectively than chlorine. Its high-energy ozone molecules destroy cell membranes and DNA of microbes, ensuring water is free from harmful pathogens that can cause illness. Within minutes of ozone treatment, water is purified and safe for drinking or other uses.
2. Chemical-Free Purification
Unlike chlorine and other chemical disinfectants, ozone water treatment does not introduce any residual byproducts into purified water. Once the ozone molecules have destroyed contaminants, they break back down into oxygen molecules that dissipate, leaving no unpleasant tastes or odors behind. This allows the water to maintain its natural purity without taking on the chemical taint from added purification chemicals.
3. Rapid Purification
Ozone purification works much faster than other common water treatment methods. Within just minutes, ozone gas can effectively disinfect water by attacking microorganisms.
This rapid response makes ozone treatment very convenient for applications where quick purification is needed. The speed at which ozone neutralizes pathogens and contaminants means water is suitable for drinking or other use shortly after undergoing ozonation.
Side Effects of Ozone Water
While ozone water has advantages, its treatment method can also present some potential downsides. Careful consideration is needed.
1. Byproduct Formation
When ozone breaks down contaminants in water, it may interact with certain organic compounds to form undesirable byproducts like bromate.
Though ozone itself leaves quickly, these byproducts can linger if levels become too high. Proper system maintenance and water quality monitoring help minimize such byproduct risks to human health from long-term consumption.
2. Safety Considerations
When using ozone for water treatment, safety is paramount. Ozone gas must be properly contained and ventilated to prevent inhalation risks to workers. Monitoring ozone levels and training staff in safe operating procedures helps protect human health.
With the application of protective equipment and containment practices, facilities can implement ozone purification techniques without endangering employees if guidelines are followed closely. Safety oversight is important for any industrial process involving gases.
Reverse Osmosis Water
Reverse osmosis (RO) is a membrane-based water filtration method that uses pressure to separate contaminants from water.
In the RO process, water flows across a semi-permeable membrane that allows water molecules to pass through but blocks larger particles and dissolved substances like salts, heavy metals, and microbes. This purified water, or "permeate," is what we call reverse osmosis water.
Benefits of Reverse Osmosis Water
Reverse osmosis filtration has some clear advantages over other water purification methods. It provides very high-quality treated water.
Also read, Why You Need to Filter Tap Water
1. High-Quality Filtration
The RO membrane is able to block virtually all contaminants that are larger than a water molecule, allowing it to filter out over 95% of all substances that cause unpleasant tastes, odors, and health risks.
This includes removing heavy metals, salts, chemicals, and other pollutants to produce water that meets stringent purity standards. The thorough filtration with RO means water is highly purified and of premium quality for consumption or other uses.
2. Improved Taste and Odor
By eliminating dissolved minerals, chemicals, and microorganisms, reverse osmosis filtration significantly improves the taste and odor of treated water. Purified water tastes naturally clean and fresh with no off-flavors.
This process removes contaminants that can impart unpleasant smells or metallic, sulfuric, or other undesirable sensory qualities. The high-quality purification leaves water tasting great.
3. Potential Health Benefits
The thorough filtration by reverse osmosis removes many impurities linked to possible health issues when consumed. RO purification reduces the intake of heavy metals like lead that can cause neurological problems. It also lessens exposure to nitrates and other chemicals tied to various illnesses.
Drinking highly purified RO water may offer benefits like decreased risk of gastrointestinal diseases from microbiological contaminants.
Side Effects of Reverse Osmosis Water
While reverse osmosis provides very pure water, this thorough filtration process also removes beneficial minerals. Careful consideration is needed.
1. Mineral Deficiency Risks
By blocking all minerals and salts, RO purification can deplete important nutrients like calcium and magnesium from water. Over long-term consumption of demineralized water may potentially lead to deficiencies.
Those with special dietary needs should check with doctors on mineral supplementation when drinking primarily RO-treated water. Proper re-mineralization helps address this downside.
2. Water Wastage Concerns
A potential downside of reverse osmosis is the wastewater produced during filtration. For every 1 gallon of purified water made, it's estimated that RO systems discharge 2-4 gallons of wastewater containing the contaminants removed from the source water.
This wastewater disposal can be an environmental and economic concern if not handled properly. Careful system design aims to minimize this impact.
Ozone Vs Reverse Osmosis Water – Which is the best?
The answer to this question depends on your personal needs and preferences. However, if you are concerned about water quality and want to consume water that is not only completely clean and safe to drink but also tastes good, then reverse osmosis is the way you should go.
On the other hand, if don’t want to compromise on the mineral content of your water, then ozone water can be a decent option for you. So, the choice is all yours!
Final Words
Ozone and reverse osmosis are two types of water, with each one has its own benefits and downsides. In this blog post, we have explained the benefits and disadvantages of both these types of water. Not just this, we have also concluded which one is the best among them.