How Reverse Osmosis Can Protect Your Health

Osmosis involves the passage of clear liquid (or a solvent with higher concentration) through a membrane to achieve equilibrium with a denser solution (or one with a solvent of lower concentration). For example, if you have water that is very salty separated by a membrane from water that is less salty or unsalted, the less salty water will travel through the membrane until the concentration of both waters is the same. 

Reverse osmosis uses high pressure to reverse that process. It forces cleaner water out of the salty water by pushing it through a membrane under high pressure. Thus, reverse osmosis is a means to both purify and to desalinate water. It can be used to turn salt water into drinking water or even contaminated water into water suitable for irrigating crops.

Reverse osmosis not only removes minerals, like salt. It also removes microorganisms. Because it does this, for people with serious health problems, reverse osmosis systems at home can be a means to protect themselves from infection by making sure the water they use does not carry waterborne pathogens. If your immune system is compromised, such as during cancer treatment, and your body has difficulty fighting off infections, a reverse osmosis water treatment system can be a means to protect you from getting an infection.