| To learn what minerals are in tap water, you need to | | | | of Cincinnati has made it relatively easy to do that. |
| learn a little bit about the geology in your area. The | | | | They have created a searchable map that allows you |
| mineral content of the rocks in your area determines | | | | to click on your city and found out what purification |
| the mineral content of your tap-water. When a | | | | steps are needed in your home. |
| mineral becomes dissolved in water, they are | | | | |
| sometimes referred to as electrolytes. | | | | The map shows that everyone in the US needs a |
| | | | | home purifier, if only to reduce chlorine and |
| We need electrolytes to maintain good homeostasis | | | | chlorination byproducts, as exposure to those |
| or hydration of the cells of the body. We get them | | | | byproducts increase a person's lifetime risk of cancer. |
| from the food that we eat, but the US RDA reports | | | | Exposure can occur through drinking, showering or |
| that the mineral content found in tap-water around | | | | bathing in chlorinated supplies. But, regardless of the |
| the country helps people meet their minimum daily | | | | purification method used by your facility, disinfection |
| electrolyte requirements. | | | | byproducts of one type or another will always be |
| | | | | present. |
| If we look at what minerals are in tap water, we | | | | |
| may find calcium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, | | | | So, anyone whose source requires disinfection must |
| manganese and copper. Most people do not like the | | | | make sure that their purifier is certified to remove |
| taste of copper and calcium, but potassium and | | | | "THMs". Most systems are not certified to do that. It |
| sodium are pleasant tasting. They are also the most | | | | takes an adsorptive block, with multiple filtering |
| important electrolytes for homeostasis. | | | | media, including carbon and resins. |
| | | | | |
| If you use a home purifier to remove chlorine and | | | | The map also shows the cysts were found in all but |
| other hazardous contaminants, you should make sure | | | | 10 supplies around the country. Submicron filtration will |
| that it DOES NOT affect the naturally occurring | | | | remove cysts without removing what minerals are in |
| mineral content. Reverse osmosis reduces the mineral | | | | tap water. An adsorptive block with a submicron |
| content, as it reduces the content of things like lead | | | | sized porous structure will remove cysts, which could |
| and cysts. | | | | otherwise cause chronic illnesses among your family |
| | | | | members. |
| Selective filtration devices contain different steps to | | | | |
| remove lead and cysts. Those steps do not affect | | | | Those pores also prevent water from channeling |
| the mineral content. One of them, ion exchange, | | | | around the filtering media. So, every drop of your |
| which removes lead, helps to balance the mineral | | | | water is the cleanest and best tasting possible. |
| content, preventing hardness and improving taste. | | | | |
| | | | | When you learn what minerals are in tap water, you |
| As you are learning what minerals are in tap water, | | | | learn that drinking more water is good for your |
| you might also want to learn about hazardous | | | | health, but only if you have the right purifier in your |
| contaminants that are in your supply. The University | | | | home. |