Alone, reverse osmosis water purifiers can do nothing to remove chlorine from drinking or shower water. In order to effectively remove chlorine, you would still need an activated carbon filter, so there's no real reason to bother with the reverse osmosis sysem.
You might think that chlorine found in tap water is safe. Your utility company has probably told you that the level in the water is safe for consumption. One of the reasons that they add chlorine is to protect the membrane in their reverse osmosis sysem from rot and algae growth.
For home use, reverse osmosis water purifiers do not really purify the water. They de-mineralize it, which is good for some industrial applications, but not good for your health. Drinking mineral free water can cause digestive problems and lead to nutritional deficiencies in children and adults.
More and more studies are being released concerning the dangers of chlorine. The most recent ones concern women who are pregnant. In the home, chlorine can react with organic (living) matter and become chloroform gas. It is particularly likely when chlorine vapors build up in the bathroom during a shower.
When chlorine vapor becomes chloroform gas, several things can happen. If the level in the air is high, there can be dizziness, headaches or even unconsciousness. Remember that chloroform was used as anesthesia for many years. If the level in the air is low, you may not realize that you have been exposed.
Researchers from two environmental groups joined together to investigate the relationship between chlorinated water, chloroform gas and birth defects. The results they published indicate that women who drink and shower in chlorinated water during pregnancy are more likely to have miscarriages. When they do carry a child to full term, their children are more likely to have neural tube defects and low birth weight.
The FDA has stated that nearly every home in America has a measurable level of chloroform gas. The cause sited was showering in unfiltered water. There are many good shower filters on the market, but just remember that the reverse osmosis sysem is ineffective against chlorine and therefore chloroform gas.
The environmental groups would like for the government to do more to protect us. But, right now, it's up to us to protect ourselves. We need good water filters in the shower and on the kitchen tap. We don't need reverse osmosis water purifiers.
Laurel Tevolitz is a dedicated researcher of critical issues that affect health and well-being. Visit her water purification blog now at www.safewaterpurifier.com
to discover which water purification system she recommends after extensive research.
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