TL;DR: Reverse osmosis (RO) is a powerful water filtration method that removes many contaminants, including up to 90% of fluoride. While it delivers clean, safe water, it can also strip beneficial minerals. Households using RO should monitor fluoride intake for dental health. Indy Soft Water provides top-tier RO solutions.
- Reverse osmosis uses a semipermeable membrane to filter water
- RO removes salts, heavy metals, chemicals, particulates, and more
- It removes about 90% of fluoride, not all
- Some beneficial minerals may also be filtered out
- Indy Soft Water offers expert RO and water filtration solutions
You want to ensure your water supply is as clean and contaminant-free as possible. And why wouldn’t you? The CDC notes that about 1.1 million people in the U.S. become sick from their drinking water. And so, it’s reasonable to look for the most powerful and most effective water filters available.
In your searches, you may have come across the reverse osmosis process as an effective water filtration solution. But a question that stands to reason is, “Does reverse osmosis remove fluoride from water?”
In this guide, we’ll explain the reverse osmosis process. We’ll also touch on what it does and doesn’t filter out of tap water. Read on to learn more.
How Does Reverse Osmosis Work?
Osmosis and reverse osmosis are two methods of filtering water. And they essentially function as opposite sides of the same coin.
In osmosis, water is diffused through a semipermeable membrane and toward a concentrated solution. In this instance, osmotic pressure is placed on the water itself.
Reverse osmosis flips the water flow away from the concentrated solution. In this water system, the osmotic pressure is placed on the concentrated solution itself.
Reverse osmosis is a means of filtering water, trapping contaminants on the filtering side of the semipermeable membrane. This leaves the other side of the membrane with clean, potable water.
What Does Reverse Osmosis Remove?
RO membranes are designed to remove countless harmful contaminants from our water sources. This includes:
- Salts
- Heavy metals such as lead, mercury, copper, and more
- Chemicals, such as chlorine, pesticides, and VOCs
- Silt, rust, and other particulates,
- And more.
Truly, these systems are fabulous ways of creating cleaner water. But does RO remove fluoride? Read on to find out.
Reverse Osmosis Water Side Effects
One of the benefits of such a powerful filtration tool is the cleanliness of the water that it creates. However, there are some reverse osmosis water side effects to note.
One of the downsides is that effective RO systems can actually remove helpful compounds from water as well. And yes, this includes fluoride.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends about 0.7 mg of fluoride per liter in drinking water. Any more and it could be considered harmful.
However, does RO remove fluoride entirely? In actuality, reverse osmosis systems do not remove the entirety of fluoride from water. Instead, they typically remove about 90% of it. So no, a reverse osmosis system’s fluoride removal is not absolute.
Even still, if you are using a reverse osmosis system with your water but wish to maintain your fluoride intake, take note. You might consider using fluoride mouthwashes designed for dental benefit.
Discover Cleaner Drinking Water
Your family deserves clean drinking water. And Indy Soft Water is here to help.
Reverse osmosis systems are a great means for households to ensure clean, contaminant-free water is always on tap. If you are considering how to remove fluoride from water in your household, these systems are a smart pick.
Indy Soft Water has the best reverse osmosis systems available. We also help customers discover residential and commercial water softeners, well filtration solutions, and more.
Let’s elevate your drinking water, together. Get safer, cleaner drinking water in your home.
