Then you have come to the right place! Our customer service will help you solve any issues with your water filter in Rostov-on-Don and Krasnodar.

FiltroMir provides services for the population and organizations.

To order the service you need, just call the phones listed on the website and agree with the manager for a TIME CONVENIENT FOR YOU!

Reverse Osmosis Filter Standard Installation - Free Now! (for models over 8500r., for models osmosis up to 8500r. installation = 500r.)

On the one hand, it is not difficult to install a reverse osmosis filter on your own, but in fact it is not entirely true, this requires certain skills, knowledge and tools.

Installation of a reverse osmosis filter often takes place in several stages:

1. The foreman examines the installation site of the filter and the tap for clean water.
2. Next, you need to check the water pressure in the water supply. for correct work osmosis without a pump needs a pressure of at least 2.7 atmospheres. If the pressure in the water supply system is less than this indicator, it is necessary to either upgrade your osmosis by installing a more efficient membrane or a pump to increase the pressure.
3. Next, there is a preparatory assembly of the filter and a check of the tightness of all connections.
4. After the osmosis is assembled, the master mounts a tap for clean water at your sink (in a place agreed with you, taking into account the master's recommendation).
5. Next, a tie-in is mounted into the water supply system (a tee with a tap that cuts off the water supply to the filter).
6. After the preparatory work has been completed, the wizard connects all filter nodes to each other.
7. Next, the wizard proceeds to start the filter and flush the water pre-purification cartridges.
8. After the filter is running, the wizard again checks the tightness of all components and, using a TDS meter, checks the correct operation of the filter.
9. After osmosis is installed and the master is 100% sure that it is working correctly. The wizard teaches you how to properly operate your filter, fills out the warranty card.
10. When all the work is finished, the master fills out the warranty card and you pay for his services.

To order standard installation osmosis can be called by phone or by pressing the button to call the wizard and fill out the form.

Under not The standard installation means: non-standard arrangement of the filter (+ 300 rubles), drank wooden passages (+ 400 rubles), the use of an additional fitting not included in the delivery set, the choice of a filter (+ 200 rubles), re-analysis of the drain line (+ 200 rubles)

Replacement of filters in reverse osmosis.

Timely replacement of reverse osmosis filters is very important because this affects the quality of the water you drink and the longevity of osmosis.

You can replace the cartridges on your reverse osmosis filter on your own, but it is better to use the services of professionals in this matter. this process is not as simple as it seems initially.

Replacement of cartridges in reverse osmosis takes place in several stages:

1. First of all, the master checks the correct operation of the reverse osmosis membrane with a TDS meter (a device that is designed to check the quality of water) and if the TDS meter readings are high, then the reverse osmosis membrane must be replaced.
2. Next, there is a replacement of 3 cartridges of preliminary water purification, a post-filter (aka post-carbon) and a mineralizer, if the time for replacing these modules has come.
3. After the new cartridges are installed, the master flushes these cartridges, eliminating the clogging of the membrane with carbon dust.
4. Next, the filter starts up.
5. After the filter is running and the master is sure that your filter is working correctly, he makes notes in the passport of your osmosis and you pay with it.

Flushing the tank, for clean water, in the reverse osmosis system.

Washing and disinfection of the clean water tank and filter housings should be done at least once every 3 years, or if foreign tastes and odors begin to appear in the treated water. Here detailed instructions if you decidedo the flushing of the tank in osmosis yourself.

Reverse osmosis system repair.

Are you not leaking water from your filter? Is water constantly running down the drain? Are there any foreign odors in the filtered water? Is your reverse osmosis filter leaking?

No matter what happened to your reverse osmosis filter, our specialists will always help!

Installation of a flow-through filter for drinking water.

Installing a flow-through filter is not a particularly complicated process, and if you have certainWith the skills and tools you can install, your flow filter, and yourself. But if you want to be guaranteed to be sure that the flow filter is installed correctly and the water is filtered as expected, then it is better to use the services of professionals in the installation and maintenance of filters.

Replacement of cartridges in the flow-through filter.

Timely replacement of cartridges (filters) in the flow filter is very important. After all, cartridges that have exhausted their resource can be thrown into drinking water that dirt that they have accumulated in themselves and, in addition to just 6-12 months, a colony of bacteria begins to appear in the filter cartridge. By contacting our specialists, you will find out which cartridges, when to change and which cartridges are suitable for water purification in your region, and our specialists will install the cartridges with high quality and in the required sequence.

Regeneration of cartridges.

Regeneration of cartridges is the restoration of the filtering properties of the cartridges (only those filter elements, the regeneration of which is provided by the manufacturer). Our specialists will be happy to regenerate your cartridge and it will work like new again.

Diagnostics (filter failure detection).

If your filter for water purification has become unstable, i.e. does not fill the tank, slowly filters, leaks, etc. In most cases, it is possible to diagnose the malfunction in the telephone mode, but sometimes this can be done only after the visit of the master to your home.

Installation of the main filter.

Installing a main filter is a rather laborious process that requires certain knowledge and skills, as well as the availability of a tool. Before installing the main filter, it is necessary to inspect the installation site to understand the dimensions required for installation. Next, you need to choose a place where it will be convenient to maintain the main filter in the future. Only after that the master starts to install the filter efficiently and with a guarantee.

Replacement of cartridges in the main filter.

Replacing the cartridges in the main filter is not difficult. But you need to be able to correctly replace the cartridge, because often the main filters are in a hard-to-reach place and only a qualified specialist can minimize the amount of spilled water and the likelihood of flask leakage after replacing the cartridges.

Installation of a filter for the whole house.

Installing filters for the whole house (softener filter, column-type filter, cabinet-type filter, high-performance reverse osmosis systems, etc.) requires a huge amount of knowledge and tools, not so much installation as setting up and running the filter. But our specialists will help you in this matter too.

Replacing the filter media.

This service means the replacement of a filtering load in a filter for the whole house (columnar or cabinet type). Replacement frequency from 12 to 60 months.

Salt delivery for filter regeneration.

We deliver salt for the regeneration of reagent filters (softeners and complex filters). Shipping cost is indicated for up to 9 bags, in cases of need for delivery more, please coordinate the cost of delivery with our operators.

Installation of a boost pump for osmosis

The master will install a pressure boosting kit for the correct operation of the reverse osmosis. Start up and check the correct operation of the system with a step-up pump. Also, this service implies the replacement of the current reverse osmosis pump. This work involves a household system.

Dismantling the input unit (input tee)

In cases where a transfer of the system is required, or your water filter is being replaced, or you need to replace the tee connecting your filter with the water supply, then this service will do.

Replacing the storage tank osmosis, diagnostics, pumping

When you need to set the required pressure in the storage tank of your household reverse osmosis filter, or you just need to replace it - disconnect the old one, drain the water, connect a new one, check the work (the old container is not disposed of and is not taken out by our company). This service is also suitable for installing an additional osmosis tank. You do not need to pump up a new container!

Moving a filter to another address

Rental apartment? Have you bought a new one? Are you moving? Our company is pleased to offer the service of transferring the filter to a new address. This service includes: departure of the master to the 1st address and dismantling old system, transportation of the filter to the new address, installation of the filter at the 2nd address. In this case, you may need to replace the cartridges with new ones, you may need some inexpensive fittings to connect. With a decrease in the filtration rate of an industrial installation, or with an increase in pressure on the membrane blocks, it is recommended to carry out a chemical cleaning of the membrane elements. Our company uses only high-quality chemistry tested by experience. The quality of the chemical wash is highly dependent on the degree of contamination of the membrane elements, therefore we recommend not to start the chemical wash intervals on time. Depending on the contaminants, we use five-stage flushing, or six-stage flushing, the time required for flushing takes one working day. This service is available at the office of our company.

Currently, reverse osmosis filters are becoming more and more popular among consumers. In such filters there is a special membrane, and the movement of water through it from a more concentrated solution in the direction of a less concentrated one.
The reverse osmosis process, as a method of water purification, has been used since the early 60s. It was originally used for the desalination of seawater. Today, according to the principle of reverse osmosis, hundreds of thousands of tons of drinking water per day are produced in the world.
Advances in technology have made it possible to use reverse osmosis systems at home. Thousands of such systems have already been installed in the world. The water obtained by reverse osmosis has a unique degree of purification. According to its properties, it is close to the melt water of glaciers, which is recognized as the most environmentally friendly and beneficial for humans.
The phenomenon of osmosis underlies the metabolism of all living organisms. Thanks to him, nutrients enter each living cell and, on the contrary, toxins are removed.
The phenomenon of osmosis occurs when two saline solutions of different concentrations are separated by a semi-permeable membrane.
This membrane allows molecules and ions of a certain size to pass through, but serves as a barrier to substances with larger molecules. Thus, water molecules are able to penetrate the membrane, but the molecules of salts dissolved in water are not.
If on opposite sides of the semipermeable membrane there are saline solutions with different concentrations, water molecules will move through the membrane from a weakly concentrated solution to a more concentrated one, causing the latter to increase the liquid level. Due to the phenomenon of osmosis, the process of water penetration through the membrane is observed even when both solutions are under the same external pressure.
The difference in height between the levels of two solutions of different concentration is proportional to the force by which the water passes through the membrane. This force is called osmotic pressure.
In the case when an external pressure exceeding the osmotic pressure acts on a solution with a higher concentration, water molecules will begin to move through the semipermeable membrane in the opposite direction, that is, from a more concentrated solution to a less concentrated one.
This process is called reverse osmosis. All reverse osmosis membranes work according to this principle.
In the process of reverse osmosis, water and substances dissolved in it are separated at the molecular level, while almost perfectly pure water accumulates on one side of the membrane, and all impurities remain on the other side of it. Thus, reverse osmosis provides a much higher degree of purification than most traditional filtration methods based on the filtration of mechanical particles and the adsorption of a number of substances using activated carbon.
All reverse osmosis membranes work according to this principle. The reverse osmosis process is carried out on osmotic filters containing special membranes that trap organic and mineral impurities, bacteria and viruses dissolved in water. Water purification occurs at the level of molecules and ions, with a noticeable decrease in the total salt content in the water. Many household reverse osmosis filters are used in the United States and Europe to treat municipal water with a salt content of 500 to 1000 mg / L; high-pressure reverse osmosis systems purify brackish and even seawater (36,000 mg / l) to the quality of normal drinking water.
Reverse osmosis filters remove ions of Na, Ca, Cl, Fe, heavy metals, insecticides, fertilizers, arsenic and many other impurities from water. "Molecular sieve", which are reverse osmosis membranes, retains almost all impurity elements contained in water, regardless of their nature, which protects the water consumer from unpleasant surprises associated with inaccurate or incomplete analysis of source water, especially from individual wells.
In the process of reverse osmosis, water and substances dissolved in it are separated at the molecular level, while almost perfectly pure water accumulates on one side of the membrane, and all impurities remain on the other side of the membrane. Thus, reverse osmosis provides a much higher degree of purification than most traditional filtration methods based on the filtration of mechanical particles and the adsorption of a number of substances using activated carbon.
The main and most important element of reverse osmosis plants is the membrane. The original water, contaminated with various impurities and particles, is passed through the pores of the membrane, which are so small that contamination practically does not pass through them. To prevent the pores of the membrane from clogging, the inlet flow is directed along the membrane surface, which washes away impurities. Thus, one input stream is divided into two output streams: a solution passing through the membrane surface (permeate) and a part of the initial stream that did not pass through the membrane (concentrate).
Reverse osmosis semipermeable membrane is a composite polymer of uneven density. This polymer is formed of two layers, inseparably connected to each other. An outer very dense barrier layer about 10 millionths of a cm thick lies on a less dense porous layer, which is five thousandths of a cm thick. The osmotic membrane acts as a barrier to all dissolved salts and inorganic molecules, as well as organic molecules with a molecular weight of more than 100. Water molecules are free pass through the membrane, creating a permeate flow. The quality of the permeate is comparable to the quality of demineralized water obtained by traditional patternН-ОН-ionization, and in some parameters (oxidizability, content of silicic acid, iron, etc.) is superior.
The reverse osmosis membrane is an excellent filter and theoretically the content of dissolved minerals in the pure water obtained as a result of filtration should be 0 mg / l (that is, they should not be at all!), Regardless of their concentration in the incoming water.
The reverse osmosis membrane is indispensable for getting rid of water from microbes, since the pore size of the membranes is significant smaller size viruses and bacteria themselves.
In fact, under normal operating conditions, 98 - 99% of the dissolved minerals are recovered from the incoming water. In the pure water obtained as a result of filtration, 6 - 7 mg / l of dissolved minerals remains.
Mineral substances dissolved in water have an electric charge and the semi-permeable membrane also has its own electric charge. Due to this, 98 - 99% of the molecules of mineral substances are repelled from the reverse osmosis membrane. However, all molecules and ions are in constant, chaotic motion. At some point, moving oppositely charged ions are at a very close distance from each other, are attracted, their electric charges mutually neutralize and an uncharged particle is formed. Uncharged particles are no longer repelled from the reverse osmosis membrane and can pass through it.
But not all uncharged particles end up in clean water. The reverse osmosis membrane is designed in such a way that the size of its pores is as close as possible to the size of the smallest water molecules in nature, therefore, only the smallest uncharged molecules of mineral substances can pass through the reverse osmosis membrane, and the most dangerous large molecules, for example, heavy metal salts, cannot penetrate through her.
In practice, the membrane does not completely retain substances dissolved in water. They penetrate the membrane, but in negligible amounts. Therefore, purified water still contains a small amount of solutes. It is important that an increase in the inlet pressure does not lead to an increase in the salt content in the water after the membrane. On the contrary, higher water pressure not only increases the membrane performance, but also improves the quality of purification when using the reverse osmosis method. In other words, the higher the water pressure on the membrane, the more pure water of better quality can be obtained.
In the process of water purification according to the principle of reverse osmosis, the concentration of salts from the inlet side increases, due to which the membrane can become clogged and stop working. To prevent this, a forced flow of water is created along the membrane, flushing the brine into the drain.
The effectiveness of the reverse osmosis process in relation to various impurities and solutes depends on a number of factors: pressure, temperature, pH level, the material from which the membrane is made, and chemical composition input water, affect the efficiency of the reverse osmosis system. The degree of water purification in such filters is 85% -98% for most inorganic elements. Organic substances with a molecular weight of more than 100-200 are removed completely; and with less - they can penetrate through the membrane in small quantities.
Inorganic substances are very well separated by a reverse osmosis membrane. Depending on the type of membrane used (cellulose acetate or thin-film composite), the degree of purification for most inorganic elements is 85% -98%.
The reverse osmosis membrane also removes organic matter from the water. In this case, organic substances with a molecular weight of more than 100-200 are completely removed; and with less - they can penetrate through the membrane in small quantities. The large size of viruses and bacteria virtually eliminates the possibility of their penetration through the reverse osmosis membrane. However, manufacturers claim that big size viruses and bacteria virtually eliminates the possibility of their penetration through the membrane.
At the same time, the membrane allows oxygen and other gases dissolved in water to pass through, which determine its taste. As a result, at the outlet of the reverse osmosis system, fresh, tasty, so pure water is obtained that, strictly speaking, it does not even need to be boiled.
In industry, such membranes are made from polymer and ceramic materials... Depending on the size of the pores, they are used to:
reverse osmosis;
microfiltration
ultrafiltration;
nanophilization (a nanometer is one billionth of a meter, or one thousandth of a micron, that is, 1 nm = 10 angstroms = 0.001 microns.);
Reverse osmosis membranes contain the narrowest pores, and therefore are the most selective. They trap all bacteria and viruses, most of the dissolved salts and organic substances (including iron and humic compounds that give water color and pathogenic substances), passing only water molecules of small organic compounds and light mineral salts. On average, RO membranes retain 97-99% of all dissolved substances, allowing only water molecules, dissolved gases and light mineral salts to pass through.
The membrane filter material is cellulose nitrate. As many years of practice have shown, this material provides optimal conditions for the growth of detained microorganisms, excluding the receipt of false negative result.
The membrane filter is made up of several layers that are bonded together and wrapped around a plastic tube. The membrane material is semi-permeable. Water is forced through a semi-permeable membrane that rejects even low molecular weight compounds. A schematic diagram of the membrane is shown below.
Reverse osmosis membranes are used in many industries where there is a need to obtain high quality water (water spills, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, food processing, pharmaceuticals, electronics, etc.).
The use of two-stage reverse osmosis (water is passed twice through reverse osmosis membranes) makes it possible to obtain distilled and demineralized water. Such systems are a cost-effective alternative to still-evaporators and are used in many industries (electroplating, electronics, etc.). In recent years, a new boom in membrane technology has begun.
Membrane filters have become more and more used in everyday life. This became possible thanks to scientific and technological advances: membrane devices became cheaper, specific productivity increased and working pressure decreased. Reverse osmosis systems allow obtaining the purest water that meets SanPiN "Drinking Water" and European quality standards for drinking water use, as well as all requirements for use in household appliances, heating systems and plumbing.
Membrane filtration is indispensable for removing microbes from water, since the pore size of the membranes is much smaller than the size of the viruses and bacteria themselves.
Microfiltration membranes with a pore size of 0.1-1.0 microns trap fine suspensions and colloidal particles, defined as turbidity. As a rule, they are used when there is a need for coarse water purification or for preliminary water treatment before deeper purification.
With the transition from microfiltration to reverse osmosis, the pore size of the membrane decreases and, therefore, the minimum size of the retained particles decreases. In this case, the smaller the pore size of the membrane, the more resistance it has to flow and the more pressure is required for the filtration process.
Ultrafiltration (UV) UV membrane traps suspended solids, microorganisms, algae, bacteria and viruses, significantly reduces water turbidity. In some cases, UV membranes effectively reduce the oxidation and color of water. Ultrafiltration replaces sedimentation, sedimentation, microfiltration.
Ultrafiltration membranes with a pore size of 0.01 to 0.1 microns remove large organic molecules (molecular weight over 10,000), colloidal particles, bacteria and viruses, without retaining dissolved salts. Such membranes are used in industry and in everyday life and provide a consistently high quality of purification from the above impurities, without changing the mineral composition of water.
In industrial water treatment, the most widespread are hollow fiber membranes, the main element of which is a hollow fiber with a diameter of 0.5-1.5 mm with an ultrafiltration membrane applied to the inner surface. To obtain a large filtering surface, groups of hollow fibers are grouped into modules providing 47-50 m2.
Ultrafiltration allows you to preserve the salt composition of water and to carry out its clarification and disinfection practically without the use of chemicals.
Typically, the UV unit operates in dead-end filtration mode without dumping the concentrate. The filtration process alternates with membrane backwashing to remove accumulated impurities. For this, part of the treated water is fed in the opposite direction. Periodically, a solution of detergents is dosed into the wash water. Wash water, which is a concentrate, is no more than 10–20% of the initial water flow. One or two times a year, an enhanced circulation flushing of the membranes with special detergent solutions is carried out.
Ultrafiltration can be used to obtain drinking water directly from a surface source. Since the UV membrane is a barrier to bacteria and viruses, no primary water chlorination is required. Disinfection is carried out immediately before the supply of water to the consumer.
Since the ultrafiltrate is completely free of suspended and colloidal substances, it is possible to use this technology as a pretreatment of water before reverse osmosis.
Nanofiltration (NF) occupies an intermediate position between reverse osmosis and ultrafiltration. Nanofiltration membranes are characterized by a pore size of 0.001 to 0.01 μm. They trap organic compounds with a molecular weight above 300 and pass 15-90% of salts, depending on the structure of the membrane.
Reverse osmosis and nanofiltration are very close in terms of the media separation mechanism, process organization scheme, operating pressure, membranes and equipment. The nanofiltration membrane partially traps organic molecules, dissolved salts, all microorganisms, bacteria and viruses. Moreover, the degree of desalination is lower than with reverse osmosis. Nanofiltrate contains almost no hardness salts (decrease by 10-15 times), i.e. it is softened. There is also an effective reduction in the color and oxidizability of water. As a result, the source water is softened, disinfected and partially desalted.
Modern nanofiltration filters are an alternative to ion-exchange water softeners.
The latest generation of water filters are nanocarbon filters. They are not yet widespread on the world market, but, despite this, they cost relatively little money. Their advantage over other filters is in the special subtlety of cleaning and delicacy of cleaning - they do not remove everything from the water, i.e. leave salts and trace elements in the water. At the same time, they purify water at the nanoscale, i.e. work tens and hundreds of times better than analogues - filters based on carbon sorbent.
But the greatest recognition was gained by reverse osmosis membrane filters for water purification due to the unique quality of water achieved after filtration. Such filters effectively cope with low molecular weight humic compounds, which give water a yellowish tint and impair its taste, and which are very difficult to remove by other methods. Using membrane reverse osmosis filters, you can get the purest water. Such water is not only safe for health, but also preserves the snow-whiteness of expensive plumbing, does not disable household appliances and the heating system, and is simply pleasing to the eye.
Reverse osmosis filters have a number of other advantages. Firstly, impurities do not accumulate inside the membrane, but are constantly discharged into the drainage, which excludes the possibility of their entering the purified water. Thanks to this technology, even with a significant deterioration in the parameters of the source water, the quality of the treated water remains stably high. The performance can only decrease, which the consumer learns from the counters built into the system. In this case, the membrane must be flushed with special reagents. Such flushes are carried out regularly (approximately 4 times a year) by service specialists. At the same time, the installation is monitored. Another advantage is the absence of chemical discharges and reagents, which ensures environmental safety. Membrane systems are compact and fit perfectly into the interior. They are easy to operate and do not need any attention from the user.
Membrane water purification systems are quite expensive. But, given the fact that when using "accumulative" systems, you will most likely need several installations of various actions, then their total cost will also cost a lot. And if we talk about operating costs, then for membrane systems they are much less.
Reverse osmosis technology is now actively developing. The installations are constantly being improved. Modern systems are complete units with pretreatment of water, installed under the sink or on the water supply line.
Osmotic filters are becoming more and more popular in domestic use due to their reliability, compactness, ease of use and, of course, the consistently high quality of the resulting water. Many consumers claim that it was only through reverse osmosis that they learned the real color of pure water.
Most reverse osmosis filters used in residential premises are equipped with composite thin-film membranes capable of retaining from 95 to 99% of all dissolved substances. These membranes can operate in a wide range of pH and temperature, as well as at high concentrations of impurities dissolved in water.
The most progressive systems for the preparation of drinking water at the present time are reverse osmosis systems, which produce water at the outlet in terms of purification degree close to distilled. However, unlike distilled, it has excellent taste, since dissolved gases are retained in it.
The key component of such a system is a semi-permeable membrane that provides a degree of water purification up to 98-99% in relation to almost any pollutant. The membrane allows only water molecules to pass through itself, filtering out everything else. The characteristic pore size of the membrane is 1 Angstrom (10-10 m). Thanks to this purification, dissolved inorganic and organic compounds, as well as heavy metals, bacteria and viruses are removed from the water.
In some cases, the use of reverse osmosis is necessary. For example, for water softening. Usually, ion-exchange resins are used for this, which replace calcium and magnesium ions in water, which are responsible for hardness, with sodium ions. Sodium salts do not form scale and the permissible concentration of sodium in water is much higher than that of calcium and magnesium. So it's usually okay. But if the hardness is very high, more than 30 mg / eq / l, then sodium is also exceeded during this process. There will be no scale, but you cannot drink such water. This is where reverse osmosis is needed to remove excess sodium - to soften the water.
Today, other types of filters of the membrane sorption class are presented on the Russian market. They consist of a membrane block and one or two blocks (depending on performance and resource) of additional purification. In addition, drinking water, already purified and stabilized in terms of salt composition, undergoes a final 6-12-fold clarification on special fibers and sorbents. Such a combination of numerous methods of purification and clarification of a liquid medium, known among specialists as "water grinding", made it possible to bring the resource of these water purifiers up to 50,000-75,000 liters.
Domestic industry also produces compact reverse osmosis filters designed for water purification in hiking or extreme conditions. Their main advantage is their versatility and compactness, you can always take them with you and be able to use the filter at any time. These are telescopic tubes in the shape and size of a regular fountain pen. Despite their miniature size, such devices are able to reliably purify 10 liters of water from bacteria, viruses, chlorine, phenol and toxic metals.
But, despite their merits, not everyone likes osmotic filters. Main argument: What good is it when the water is perfectly clean? After all, there are no trace elements in it. Answering this question, some manufacturers say that a person receives the necessary trace elements not from water, but together with food, because in order to satisfy the daily need, for example, for potassium, you need to drink 150 liters of water, and in phosphorus - 1000 l; others are developing special mineralizers so that the water after cleaning with a filter becomes not only pure, but also "alive", that is, full for consumption. Such installations have a long resource (4000 - 15000 l) and a high filtration rate (1.5-3 l / min). These filters are expensive, ranging from $ 150 to $ 900, and also require a lot of space to install.

Typical cases of malfunction of reverse osmosis systems Atoll and methods of their elimination. If you do not find the answer and solution to the problem in this collection, then see operating instructions for your model or contact service center "Rusfilter-Service" .

Water flows continuously into the drain

Cause

• Defective shut-off valve
• Replaceable elements clogged, prefilters damaged
• Low pressure

Elimination

For this:

1. Turn off the tap on storage tank;
2. Open the tap of clean water;
3. You will hear water pouring out of the drain pipe;
4. Close the fresh water tap;
5. After a few minutes, the flow of water from the drain tube should stop;
6. If flow does not stop, replace the shut-off valve.

• Replace cartridges, including, if necessary, membrane or damaged prefilters
• A system without a pump requires an inlet pressure of at least 2.8 bar. If the pressure is lower than the specified, then a booster pump must be installed (see the "Options" section in the operating instructions)

Leaks

Cause

• The ends of the connecting pipes are not cut at 90 °, or the end of the pipe is "scuffed".
• Tubes not hermetically connected
• Threaded connections are not tightened
• Missing o-rings
• Pressure surges in the inlet pipeline above 6 atm

Elimination

• When installing, dismantling or changing filter elements, make sure that the edges of the connecting pipes are even (cut at right angles) and without roughness and thinning.
• Insert the tube into the connector until it stops and apply additional force to seal the connection. Pull on tubes to check connections.
• Tighten if necessary threaded connections.
• Contact supplier
• To prevent leaks, it is recommended to install a Honeywell D04 or D06 pressure reducing valve in the system before the first prefilter, as well as atoll Z-LV-FPV0101

Water does not flow or drips from the tap, i.e. low productivity

Cause

• Low water pressure at the inlet to the filter
• The tubes are bent
• Low water temperature

Elimination

• A system without a pump requires an inlet pressure of at least 2.8 bar. If the pressure is lower than the specified, then a booster pump should be installed (see the "Options" section in the operating instructions for a particular model)
• Check tubing and remove kinks
• Cold working temperature water = 4-40 ° C

Not enough water is being drawn into the tank

Cause

• The system has just started working
• Clogged prefilters or membrane
• Air pressure in the tank is high
• Clogged check valve in a flask membrane

Elimination

• Replace prefilters or membrane
• Replace flow restrictor

Milky water

Cause

• Air in the system

Elimination

• The air in the system is the norm during the first days of the system operation. In one to two weeks, it will be completely withdrawn.

The water has an unpleasant smell or taste

Cause

• The resource of the carbon post-filter has run out
• Diaphragm clogged
• The preservative has not been washed out of the tank
• Incorrect tubing connection

Elimination

• Replace the carbon post-filter
• Replace the membrane
• Empty the tank and refill (the procedure can be repeated several times)
• Check the connection order (see the connection diagram in the instructions for this filter)

Water does not flow from the tank to the tap

Cause

• The pressure in the tank is below the permissible
• Tank membrane rupture
• The tap on the tank is closed

Elimination

• Pump air through the tank air valve to the required pressure (0.5 atm.) With a car or bicycle pump
• Replace tank
• Open the tap on the tank

Water does not flow into the drain

Cause

• Water flow restrictor to drain clogged

Elimination

• Replace flow restrictor

Increased noise

Cause

• Clogged drain
• High inlet pressure

Elimination

• Find and remove the blockage
• Install a pressure reducing valve Adjust the pressure with the water tap

The pump does not turn off

Cause

• There is not enough water in the tank.
• High pressure sensor adjustment required.

Elimination

• The tank fills up in 1.5-2 hours. Low temperatures and inlet pressure reduce the performance of the membrane. Maybe you just have to wait
• Replace prefilters or membrane
• Check the pressure in the empty storage tank through the air valve using a pressure gauge. Normal pressure is 0.4-0.5 atm. If the pressure is insufficient, pump with a car or bicycle pump.
• Replace flow restrictor
• The check valve is mounted on the membrane flask inside a central connector located on the side opposite the flask cap. Unscrew the connector, rinse the valve under running water.

If water does not flow into the drain and the pump does not shut off, turn the adjusting hex on the high pressure sensor counterclockwise.

We express our gratitude for the help in preparing this material, Ph.D. Barasyev Sergey Vladimirovich, academician of the Belarusian Engineering Academy.

What are these impurities and where do they come from in the water?

Where do harmful impurities come from?

As you know, water is not only the most widespread substance in nature, but also a universal solvent. More than 2000 natural substances and elements have been found in the water, of which only 750 have been identified, mainly organic compounds. However, water contains not only natural substances, but also toxic man-made substances. They enter water bodies as a result of industrial emissions, agricultural effluents, and household waste. Thousands of chemicals enter water sources every year with unpredictable effects on environment, hundreds of which are new chemical compounds. Increased concentrations of toxic ions of heavy metals (for example, cadmium, mercury, lead, chromium), pesticides, nitrates and phosphates, petroleum products, surfactants can be found in water. Annually, up to 12 million falls into the seas and oceans. tons of oil.

Acid rain in industrialized countries also makes a certain contribution to the increase in the concentration of heavy metals in water. Such rains are capable of dissolving minerals in the soil and increasing the content of toxic heavy metal ions in the water. Radioactive waste from nuclear power plants is also involved in the water cycle in nature. Discharge of untreated wastewater into water sources leads to microbiological contamination of water. The World Health Organization estimates that 80% of diseases in the world are caused by poor quality and unsanitary water. The problem of water quality is especially acute in rural areas - about 90% of all rural residents in the world constantly use contaminated water for drinking and bathing.

Are there drinking water standards?

Don't drinking water standards protect the population?

Regulatory recommendations are formed as a result of an expert assessment based on several factors - analysis of data on the prevalence and concentration of substances commonly found in drinking water; the possibilities of cleaning from these substances; scientifically substantiated conclusions about the effect of pollutants on a living organism. As for the last factor, it has some uncertainty, since the experimental data are transferred from small animals to humans, then linearly (and this is a conditional assumption) extrapolated from large doses of harmful substances to small ones, then a "safety factor" is introduced - the result obtained for the concentration of harmful substance is usually divided by 100.

In addition, there is uncertainty associated with the uncontrolled intake of man-made impurities into the water and the lack of data on the intake of additional quantities of harmful substances from the air and food. With regard to the influence of carcinogenic and mutagenic substances, most scientists consider their effect on the body to be nonthreshold, that is, it is enough for one molecule of such a substance to get to the corresponding receptor to cause a disease. The actual recommended values ​​for such substances allow one case of waterborne disease per 100,000 population. Further, the regulations for drinking water provide a very limited list of substances subject to control and do not take into account viral infection at all. And, finally, the characteristics of the organism of various people are completely disregarded (which is fundamentally impossible). Thus, the standards for drinking water reflect, in essence, the economic capabilities of states.

If drinking water meets the accepted standards, why purify it further?

For several reasons. First, the formation of drinking water standards is based on an expert assessment based on several factors that often do not take into account technogenic water pollution and have some uncertainty in substantiating conclusions about the concentrations of pollutants affecting living organisms. As a result, the recommendations of the World Health Organization allow, for example, one cancer in a hundred thousand population due to water. Therefore, WHO experts, already on the first pages of the Guidelines for the Control of Drinking Water Quality (Geneva, WHO), state that “although the recommended values ​​provide for the quality of water acceptable for consumption throughout life, this does not mean that the quality of drinking water water can be reduced to the recommended level. In reality, continuous efforts are required to maintain the quality of drinking water at the highest possible level ... and the level of exposure to toxic substances should be as low as possible. " Secondly, the capabilities of states in this regard (the cost of purification, distribution and monitoring of water) are limited, and common sense suggests that it is unreasonable to perfect all the water supplied to houses for household and drinking needs, especially since approximately one percent of all water used. Thirdly, it happens that efforts to purify water at water treatment plants are neutralized due to technical violations, accidents, contaminated water recharge, secondary pipe pollution. So the principle of "protect yourself" is very relevant.

How to deal with the presence of chlorine in water?

If chlorination of water is dangerous, why is it used?

Chlorine performs a useful guardian function against bacteria and has a prolonged effect, but it also plays a negative role - in the presence of certain organic substances, it forms carcinogenic and mutagenic organochlorine compounds. The important thing here is to choose the lesser of evils. V critical situations and in case of technical failures, overdose of chlorine (hyperchlorination) is possible, and then chlorine, as a toxic substance, and its compounds, become dangerous. In the United States, studies have been conducted on the effect of chlorinated drinking water on birth defects. High levels of carbon tetrachloride were found to cause low weight, fetal death, or central defects. nervous system and benzene and 1,2-dichloroethane are heart defects.

On the other hand, an interesting and indicative fact is that the construction of chlorine-free (based on combined chlorine) treatment systems in Japan has led to a threefold decrease in the cost of medicine, and an increase in life expectancy by ten years. Since it is not possible to completely abandon the use of chlorine, the solution is seen in the use of combined chlorine (hypochlorites, dioxides), which makes it possible to reduce by an order of magnitude harmful side compounds of chlorine. Taking into account also the low efficiency of chlorine in relation to viral infection of water, it is advisable to use ultraviolet disinfection of water (of course, where it is economically and technically justified, since ultraviolet does not have a prolonged effect).

In everyday life, charcoal filters can be used to remove chlorine and its compounds.

How serious is the problem of heavy metals in drinking water?

As for heavy metals (HM), most of them have high biological activity. During water treatment, new impurities may appear in the treated water (for example, toxic aluminum may appear at the coagulation stage). The authors of the monograph "Heavy metals in the environment" note that "according to forecasts and estimates in the future, they (heavy metals) may become more hazardous pollutants than wastes from nuclear power plants and organic substances." "Metal pressure" can become a serious problem due to the total influence of heavy metals on the human body. Chronic TM intoxication has a pronounced neurotoxic effect, and also significantly affects the endocrine system, blood, heart, blood vessels, kidneys, liver, and metabolic processes. They also affect the reproductive function of a person. Some metals are allergenic (chromium, nickel, cobalt), can lead to mutagenic and carcinogenic effects (chromium, nickel, iron compounds). So far, the situation is facilitated by, in most cases, the low concentration of heavy metals in groundwater. The presence of heavy metals in water from surface sources is more likely, as well as their appearance in water as a result of secondary pollution. The most effective way to remove HM is the use of reverse osmosis filter systems.

Since ancient times, it was believed that water after contact with silver objects becomes safe to drink and even useful.

Why is water silvering not widely used today?

The use of silver as a disinfecting agent has not become widespread for a number of reasons. First of all, according to SanPiN 10-124 RB99, based on WHO recommendations, silver as a heavy metal, along with lead, cadmium, cobalt and arsenic, belongs to hazard class 2 (highly hazardous substance), causing argyrosis disease with prolonged use. According to the WHO, the natural total consumption of silver with water and food is about 7 μg / day, the maximum permissible concentration in drinking water is 50 μg / L, the bacteriostatic effect (suppression of the growth and reproduction of bacteria) is achieved at a concentration of silver ions of about 100 μg / L, and bactericidal (destruction of bacteria) - over 150 μg / l. At the same time, there is no reliable data on the vitally important function of silver for the human body. Moreover, silver is not effective enough against spore-forming microorganisms, viruses and protozoa and requires prolonged contact with water. Therefore, WHO experts believe, for example, that the use of filters based on activated carbon impregnated with silver, "is allowed only for drinking water, which is known to be microbiologically safe."

Most often, silvering of water is used in cases of long-term storage of disinfected drinking water in an airtight container without access to light (in some airlines, on ships, etc.), and for disinfection of water in swimming pools (in combination with copper), allowing to reduce the degree of chlorination (but not completely abandon it).

Is it true that drinking water softened with water purification filters is harmful to health?

Water hardness is mainly due to the presence of dissolved calcium and magnesium salts in it. The bicarbonates of these metals are unstable and, over time, are transformed into water-insoluble carbonate compounds that precipitate. This process is accelerated when heated, forming a hard white coating on the surfaces of heating devices (known to all limescale in teapots), and boiled water becomes softer. At the same time, calcium and magnesium are removed from the water - elements necessary for the human body.

On the other hand, a person receives various substances and elements with food, and with food to a greater extent. The human body's need for calcium is 0.8-1.0 g, for magnesium - 0.35-0.5 g per day, and the content of these elements in water of medium hardness is 0.06-0.08 g and 0.036-0.048 r, respectively, i.e. approximately 8–10 percent of the daily requirement or less for milder or boiled water... At the same time, hardness salts cause high turbidity and sore throat from tea, coffee and other drinks due to the content of sediment floating on the surface and in the volume of the drink, and make it difficult to cook food.

Thus, the question is to determine the priorities - which is better: to drink tap water or well-purified water after the filter (especially since some filters practically do not affect the initial concentration of calcium and magnesium).

From the point of view of sanitary doctors, the water should be safe to drink, tasty and stable. Since household filters for water purification practically do not change the water stability index, they have the ability to connect mineralizers and UV water disinfection devices, they provide clean and tasty cold and softened (50/90%) water for cooking and hot drinks.

What does magnetic water treatment give?

Water is an amazing substance in nature that changes its properties not only depending on the chemical composition, but also under the influence of various physical factors. In particular, it was experimentally found that even a short-term exposure to a magnetic field increases the rate of crystallization of substances dissolved in it, coagulation of impurities and their precipitation.

The essence of these phenomena is not fully understood, and in the theoretical description of the processes of the effect of a magnetic field on water and impurities dissolved in it, there are mainly three groups of hypotheses (according to Klassen): - "colloidal", in which it is assumed that the magnetic field destroys the contained colloidal particles in water, the remains of which form centers of crystallization of impurities, accelerating their precipitation; - "ionic", according to which the effect of a magnetic field leads to an increase in the hydration shells of impurity ions, which impede the convergence of ions and their conglomeration; - "water", the supporters of which believe that the magnetic field causes deformation of the structure of water molecules associated with the help of hydrogen bonds, thus affecting the rate of physical and chemical processes in water. Be that as it may, the treatment of water with a magnetic field has found wide practical application.

It is used to suppress scale formation in boilers, in oil fields to eliminate the deposition of mineral salts in pipelines and paraffins in pipelines, to reduce the turbidity of natural water at waterworks and wastewater treatment as a result of the rapid deposition of finely dispersed contaminants. In agriculture, magnetic water significantly increases the yield; in medicine, it is used to remove kidney stones.

What methods of water disinfection are currently used in practice?

All known technological methods of water disinfection can be divided into two groups - physical and chemical. The first group includes such disinfection methods as cavitation, electric current transmission, radiation (gamma quanta or X-rays) and ultraviolet (UV) irradiation of water. The second group of disinfection methods is based on the treatment of water with chemicals (for example, hydrogen peroxide, potassium permanganate, silver and copper ions, bromine, iodine, chlorine, ozone), which at certain doses have a bactericidal effect. Due to a number of circumstances (inadequacy of practical developments, high cost of implementation and (or) operation, side effects, selectivity of the effect of the active agent), in reality, in practice, mainly chlorination, ozonation and UV irradiation are used. When choosing a specific technology, hygienic, operational, technical and economic aspects are taken into account.

In general, if we talk about the disadvantages of a particular method, it can be noted that: - chlorination is the least effective in relation to viruses, causes the formation of carcinogenic and mutagenic organochlorine compounds, special measures are required for equipment materials and working conditions of maintenance personnel, there is a danger of overdose, there is dependence on temperature, pH and chemical composition of water; - ozonation is characterized by the formation of toxic by-products (bromates, aldehydes, ketones, phenols, etc.), the danger of overdose, the possibility of re-growth of bacteria, the need to remove residual ozone, a complex set of equipment (including high-voltage), the use of stainless materials, high construction and operating costs ; - the use of UV irradiation requires high-quality preliminary preparation of water, there is no effect of prolongation of the disinfecting action.

What are the parameters of UV water disinfection units?

In recent years, the practical interest in the UV irradiation method for the disinfection of drinking and waste water has increased significantly. This is due to a number of undoubted advantages of the method, such as high efficiency of inactivation of bacteria and viruses, simplicity of technology, lack of side effects and influence on the chemical composition of water, low operating costs. The development and use of low-pressure mercury lamps as emitters made it possible to increase the efficiency up to 40% in comparison with high-pressure lamps (8% efficiency), to reduce the unit radiation power by an order of magnitude, simultaneously increasing the service life of UV emitters several times and preventing any significant the formation of ozone.

An important parameter of the UV irradiation unit is the irradiation dose and the coefficient of UV radiation absorption by water, which is inextricably linked with it. The radiation dose is the energy density of UV radiation in mJ / cm2 received by the water during its flow through the installation. The absorption coefficient takes into account the attenuation of UV radiation when passing through the water column due to the effects of absorption and scattering and is determined as the ratio of the fraction of the absorbed radiation flux when passing through a layer of water 1 cm thick to its initial value in percent.

The value of the absorption coefficient depends on the turbidity, color of the water, the content of iron and manganese in it, and for water corresponding to the accepted standards is in the range of 5 - 30% / cm. The choice of an installation for UV irradiation should take into account the type of bacteria, spores, viruses to be inactivated, since their resistance to irradiation varies greatly. For example, to inactivate (with an efficiency of 99.9%) bacteria of the E. coli group requires 7 mJ / cm2, poliomyelitis virus - 21, nematode eggs - 92, cholera vibrio - 9. In world practice, the minimum effective radiation dose varies from 16 to 40 mJ / cm2.

Are copper and galvanized water pipes harmful to health?

Copper and zinc according to SanPiN 10-124 RB 99 are heavy metals with hazard class 3 - hazardous. On the other hand, copper and zinc are essential for the metabolism of the human body and are considered non-toxic at concentrations commonly found in water. It is obvious that both an excess and a deficiency of trace elements (and copper and zinc belong to them) can cause various disturbances in the activity of human organs.

Copper is an integral part of a number of enzymes that utilize proteins and carbohydrates, increases the activity of insulin, and is simply necessary for the synthesis of hemoglobin. Zinc is a part of a number of enzymes that provide redox processes and respiration, and is also necessary for the production of insulin. Copper accumulates mainly in the liver and partly in the kidneys. An excess of its natural content in these organs by about two orders of magnitude leads to necrosis of liver cells and kidney tubules.

Lack of copper in the diet can cause congenital malformations. The daily dose for an adult is at least 2 mg. Zinc deficiency leads to a decrease in the function of the gonads and the pituitary gland of the brain, to a slowdown in the growth of children and anemia, and a decrease in immunity. The daily dose of zinc is 10-15 mg. An excess of zinc causes mutagenic changes in organ tissue cells, damages cell membranes. Pure copper practically does not interact with water, but in practice, its concentration slightly increases in water supply networks made of copper pipes (similarly, the concentration of zinc in a galvanized water supply system increases).

The presence of copper in the water supply system is not considered hazardous to health, but it can adversely affect the use of water for domestic purposes - increase the corrosion of galvanized and steel fittings, impart color to water and a bitter taste (in concentrations above 5 mg / l), cause staining of fabrics (in concentrations above 1mg / l). It is from the household point of view that the MPC for copper is set equal to 1.0 mg / l. For zinc, the MPC in drinking water 5.0 mg / l was determined from an aesthetic point of view, taking into account the idea of ​​taste, since at higher concentrations, water has an astringent taste and can become opalescent.

Is it harmful to drink mineral water with a high fluoride content

Recently, a lot of mineral water with a high fluorine content has appeared on the market.

Isn't it harmful to drink it all the time?

Fluorine belongs to substances with a sanitary and toxicological hazard class with hazard class 2. This element is naturally found in water in various, usually low concentrations, as well as in a number of food products (for example, in rice, tea) also in small concentrations. Fluorine is one of the essential trace elements for the human body, since it participates in biochemical processes that affect the entire body. Being a part of bones, teeth, nails, fluoride has a beneficial effect on their structure. It is known that a lack of fluoride leads to dental caries, which affects more than half of the world's population.

Unlike heavy metals, fluoride is effectively eliminated from the body, so it is important to have a source of regular renewal. The fluorine content in drinking water is less than 0.3 mg / l, which suggests its deficiency. However, even at concentrations of 1.5 mg / l, there are cases of speckled teeth; at 3.0–6.0 mg / l, skeletal fluorosis may occur, and at concentrations above 10 mg / l, disabling fluorosis may develop. The level of fluoride in drinking water recommended by WHO on the basis of these data is taken equal to 1.5 mg / l. For countries with hot climates or for higher consumption of drinking water, this level has been reduced to 1.2 and even to 0.7 mg / l. Thus, fluorine is hygienically useful over a narrow concentration range of about 1.0 to 1.5 mg / L.

Since the fluoridation of drinking water from centralized water supply is impractical, producers of bottled water resort to the most rational improvement of its quality, by artificial fluoridation within hygienically acceptable limits. The content of fluorine in bottled water at a concentration higher than 1.5 mg / l should indicate its natural origin, but such water can be classified as medicinal and is not intended for permanent use.

Chlorination side effects. Why is no alternative offered?

V Lately in scientific and practical circles in the field of water treatment at conferences, symposia, the issue of the effectiveness of this or that method of water disinfection is quite actively discussed. The three most common methods of water inactivation are chlorination, ozonation, and ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. Each of these methods has certain disadvantages that do not allow completely abandoning other methods of water disinfection in favor of any one chosen. The most preferable from the technical, operational, economic and medical positions could be the method of UV irradiation, if not for the absence of a prolonged disinfecting effect. On the other hand, the improvement of the chlorination method based on combined chlorine (in the form of dioxide, sodium hypochlorite or calcium) makes it possible to significantly reduce one of the negative side effects of chlorination, namely, to reduce the concentration of carcinogenic and mutagenic organochlorine compounds by a factor of five to ten.

Still, the problem of viral water pollution remains unresolved - the effectiveness of chlorine against viruses, as you know, is low, and even hyperchlorination (with all its disadvantages) is not able to cope with the task of complete disinfection of the treated water, especially with a high concentration of organic impurities in the treated water. water. The conclusion suggests itself - to use the principle of combination of methods, when the methods complement each other, in a complex solution to the problem. In the case under consideration, the sequential application of UV irradiation methods and the dosed introduction of bound chlorine into the treated water most effectively correspond to the main purpose of the disinfection system - the complete inactivation of the disinfection treatment object with a prolonged aftereffect. An additional bonus in the tandem UV-bound chlorine is the ability to reduce the power of UV irradiation and chlorination doses compared to those used when the above methods are used separately, which gives an additional economic effect. The proposed combination of disinfection methods is not the only one possible today, and work in this direction is encouraging.

How dangerous is it to drink drinking water with an unpleasant taste, odor and unclear appearance?

Sometimes tap water tastes bad, smells unpleasant and looks unclear. How dangerous is it to drink such water?

According to the accepted terminology, the above-mentioned properties of water relate to organoleptic indicators and include smell, taste, color and turbidity of water. The smell of water is mainly associated with the presence of organic matter (natural or industrial origin), chlorine and organochlorine compounds, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, or the activity of bacteria (not necessarily pathogenic). Bad taste causes the most consumer complaints. Substances that affect this indicator include magnesium, calcium, sodium, copper, iron, zinc, bicarbonates (for example, water hardness), chlorides and sulfates. The color of water is due to the presence of colored organic matter such as humic substances, algae, iron, manganese, copper, aluminum (in combination with iron), or colored industrial pollutants. Turbidity is caused by the presence of fine suspended particles in the water (clay, silty components, colloidal iron, etc.).

Turbidity leads to a decrease in the effectiveness of disinfection and stimulates the growth of bacteria. Although substances that affect aesthetic and organoleptic characteristics are rarely present in toxic dangerous concentrations, the cause of the discomfort should be determined (more often the danger is represented by substances that cannot be detected by the human senses) and the concentration of the substances that cause discomfort should be ensured well below the threshold level. As the permissible concentration of substances affecting aesthetic and organoleptic characteristics, a concentration of 10 (for organic substances) and more times below the threshold is taken.

According to WHO experts, about 5% of people can smell or taste some substances at concentrations 100 times below the threshold. However, excessive efforts to completely eliminate substances that affect organoleptic characteristics on the scale of settlements can be unreasonably expensive and even impossible. In this situation, it is advisable to use correctly selected filters and systems for post-treatment of drinking water.

What is the harmfulness of nitrates and how to get rid of them in drinking water?

Nitrogen compounds are present in water, mainly from surface sources, in the form of nitrates and nitrites and are classified as substances with a sanitary and toxicological hazard indicator. According to SanPiN 10-124 RB99, the MPC for nitrates for NO3 is 45 mg / l (hazard class 3), and for nitrites for NO2 - 3 mg / l (hazard class 2). Excessive levels of these substances in water can cause oxygen starvation due to the formation of methemoglobin (a form of hemoglobin in which the iron of heme is oxidized to Fe (III), which is unable to carry oxygen), as well as diseases of some forms of cancer. Infants and newborns are most susceptible to methemoglobinemia. The issue of purifying drinking water from nitrates is most acute for rural residents, since the widespread use of nitrate fertilizers leads to their accumulation in the soil, and then, as a result, in rivers, lakes, wells and shallow wells. Today, nitrates and nitrites can be removed from drinking water by two methods - based on reverse osmosis and based on ion exchange. Unfortunately, the sorption method (using activated carbons), as the most accessible, is characterized by low efficiency.

The reverse osmosis method is extremely effective, but one should take into account its high cost and total demineralization of water. For the preparation of water for drinking needs in small quantities, it should still be considered the most suitable way to purify water from nitrates, especially since it is possible to connect an additional stage with a mineralizer. The ion exchange method is implemented in practice in installations with a strongly basic anion exchanger in the Cl-form. The process of removing dissolved nitrogen compounds consists in replacing Cl- ions on the anion-exchange resin with NO3- ions from water. However, anions SO4-, HCO3-, Cl- also participate in the exchange reaction, and sulfate anions are more efficient than nitrate anions and the capacity for nitrate ions is low. When implementing this method, one should additionally take into account the limitation of the total concentration of sulfates, chlorides, nitrates and bicarbonates by the MPC value for chloride ions. To overcome these disadvantages, special selective anion-exchange resins have been developed and are proposed, the affinity of which for nitrate ions is the highest.

Are radionuclides present in drinking water and how seriously should they be taken?

Radionuclides may end up in a water source used by humans due to the natural presence of radionuclides in the earth's crust, as well as due to man-made activities of humans - during testing of nuclear weapons, insufficient wastewater treatment at nuclear energy and industrial enterprises or accidents at these enterprises, loss or theft of radioactive materials, extraction and processing of oil, gas, ores, etc. Taking into account the reality of this kind of water pollution, requirements for its radiation safety are introduced into the standards for drinking water, namely, the total γ-radioactivity (flow of helium nuclei) should not exceed 0.1 Bq / L, and the total γ-radioactivity (electron flux) is not higher than 1.0 Bq / L (1 Bq corresponds to one decay per second). The main contribution to human radiation exposure today is made by natural radiation - up to 65-70%, ionizing sources in medicine - more than 30%, the rest of the radiation dose falls on man-made sources of radioactivity - up to 1.5% (according to A.G. Zelenkova). In turn, a significant share in the background of natural external radiation is accounted for by γ-radioactive radon Rn-222. Radon is an inert radioactive gas, 7.5 times heavier than air, colorless, tasteless and odorless, contained in the earth's crust and highly soluble in water. Radon enters the human environment from building materials, in the form of gas leaked from the bowels of the earth to its surface, when natural gas is burned, as well as with water (especially if it is supplied from artesian wells).

In the case of insufficient air exchange in houses and individual rooms in the house (as a rule, in basements and lower floors), the dispersion of radon in the atmosphere becomes difficult and its concentration can exceed the maximum permissible tens of times. For example, in cottages with water supply from their own wells, radon can be released from the water when using the shower or kitchen faucet, and its concentration in the kitchen or bathroom can be 30-40 times higher than the concentration in living quarters. The greatest harm from radiation is caused by radionuclides that enter the human body by inhalation, as well as with water (at least 5% in the total dose of radon radiation). With prolonged intake of radon and its products into the human body, the risk of lung cancer increases many times over, and according to the likelihood of this disease, radon ranks second in the causation line after smoking (according to the US Public Health Service). In this situation, settling of the water, aeration, boiling or the use of charcoal filters (efficiency> 99%) and ion exchange resin softeners can be recommended.

Recently, more and more people talk about the benefits of selenium and even release drinking water with selenium; at the same time, selenium is known to be poisonous. I would like to know how to determine the rate of its consumption?

Indeed, selenium and all its compounds are toxic to humans above certain concentrations. According to SanPiN 10-124 RB99, selenium belongs to substances with a sanitary-toxicological indicator of hazard with hazard class 2. At the same time, selenium plays a key role in the activity of the human body. It is a biologically active trace element that is part of most (more than 30) hormones and enzymes and ensures the normal functioning of the body and its protective and reproductive functions. Selenium is the only trace element whose incorporation into enzymes is encoded in DNA. The biological role of selenium is associated with its antioxidant properties (along with vitamins A, C and E), due to the participation of selenium in the construction, in particular, of one of the most important antioxidant enzymes - glutathione peroxidase (from 30 to 60% of all selenium in the body).

Selenium deficiency (below the average daily requirement of the human body 160 μg) leads to a decrease in the body's protective function against free-radical oxidants that irreversibly damage cell membranes and, as a consequence, to diseases (heart, lung, thyroid gland, etc.), weakening of the immune system, premature aging and a decrease in life expectancy. Considering all of the above, you should adhere to the optimal amount of selenium intake in total with food (mainly) and water. The maximum daily intake of selenium from drinking water recommended by WHO specialists should not exceed 10% of the recommended maximum daily intake of selenium from food of 200 mcg. Thus, when consuming 2 liters of drinking water per day, the selenium concentration should not exceed 10 μg / l, and this value is taken as the MPC. In fact, the territories of many countries are classified as selenium deficient (Canada, USA, Australia, Germany, France, China, Finland, Russia, etc.), and intensive farming, soil erosion and acid rain aggravate the situation, reducing the selenium content in the soil. As a result, people consume less and less of this essential element with natural protein and plant foods, and an increasing need arises for food supplements or special bottled water (especially after 45-50 years). In conclusion, we can note the leaders in the content of selenium among the products: coconut (0.81 μg), pistachios (0.45 μg), lard (0.2-0.4 μg), garlic (0.2-0.4 μg ), sea fish (0.02-0.2 μg), wheat bran (0.11 μg), porcini mushrooms (0.1 μg), eggs (0.07-0.1 μg).

There is a cheap "folk" way to improve the quality of water by infusing it on flint. Is this method really that effective?

First, you need to clarify the terminology. Flint is a mineral formation based on silicon oxide, consisting of quartz and chalcedony with coloring metal impurities. For medicinal purposes, apparently, a kind of silica - diatomite, of organogenic origin is being promoted. Silicon is a chemical element that occupies the second place in nature after oxygen in terms of prevalence (29.5%) and forms its main mineral substances in nature - silica and silicates. The main source of silicon compounds in natural waters are the processes of chemical dissolution of siliceous minerals, the entry of dying plant and microorganisms into natural waters, as well as the intake of waste water enterprises using silicon-containing substances in production. In slightly alkaline and neutral waters, it is present, as a rule, in the form of undissociated silicic acid. Due to its low solubility, its average content in groundwater is 10 - 30 mg / l, in surface water - from 1 to 20 mg / l. Only in strongly alkaline waters does silicic acid migrate in the ionic form, and therefore its concentration in alkaline waters can reach hundreds of mg / l. If you do not touch upon the assurances of some ardent supporters of this method of additional purification of drinking water about imparting some supernatural healing properties to water in contact with flint, then the question boils down to clarifying the fact of sorption of “harmful” impurities by flint and the release of “useful” impurities in dynamic equilibrium with the water surrounding the flint ... Such studies were actually carried out and, moreover, scientific conferences were devoted to this issue.

In general, if we ignore the discrepancies between the research results of different authors associated with the differences in the samples (after all, one must take into account the irreproducibility of the properties of natural minerals) and the experimental conditions, the sorption qualities of silicon in relation to radionuclides and heavy metal ions, the binding of mycobacteria on silicon colloids ( for example, according to M.G. Voronkov, Irkutsk Institute of Organic Chemistry), as well as the fact that silicon is released into contact water in the form of silicic acids. As for the latter, this fact attracted researchers to a closer study of the role of silicon as a trace element in the activity of human organs, since there was an opinion about the biological uselessness of silicon compounds. It turned out that silicon stimulates the growth of hair and nails, is part of collagen fibers, neutralizes toxic aluminum, plays an important role in bone healing in fractures, is necessary to maintain the elasticity of arteries and plays an important role in the prevention of atherosclerosis. At the same time, it is known that with regard to microelements (as opposed to macroelements), scanty deviations from biologically justified doses of consumption are permissible and one should not get carried away with the constant excessive consumption of silicon from drinking water in concentrations above the maximum permissible level - 10 mg / l.

Is oxygen needed in drinking water?

The effect of oxygen dissolved in water in the form of O2 molecules is mainly reduced to the effect on redox reactions involving metal cations (for example, iron, copper, manganese), nitrogen- and sulfur-containing anions, and organic compounds. Therefore, when determining the stability of water and its organoleptic qualities, along with measuring the concentration of organic and inorganic substances, pH, it is important to know the oxygen concentration (in mg / l) in this water. Water from underground sources, as a rule, is extremely depleted in oxygen, and the absorption of atmospheric oxygen during its extraction and transportation in water distribution networks is accompanied by a violation of the initial anion-cation balance, leading, for example, to precipitation of iron, a change in the pH of water, and the formation of complex ions. Producers of mineral and drinking bottled water extracted from great depths often have to deal with such phenomena. In surface water, the oxygen content varies greatly depending on the concentration of various organic and inorganic substances, as well as the presence of microorganisms. The balance of oxygen is determined by the equilibrium of the processes leading to the supply of oxygen to the water and its consumption. An increase in the oxygen content in water is facilitated by the processes of oxygen absorption from the atmosphere, the release of oxygen by aquatic vegetation during photosynthesis, and the replenishment of surface sources with oxygen-saturated rain and melt waters. The rate of this process increases with decreasing temperature, increasing pressure and decreasing salinity. In underground sources, low oxygen levels can be caused by vertical heat convection. The processes of chemical oxidation of substances (nitrites, methane, ammonium, humic substances, organic and inorganic waste in wastewater of anthropogenic origin), biological (respiration of organisms) and biochemical consumption (respiration of bacteria, oxygen consumption during the decomposition of organic substances).

The rate of oxygen consumption increases with increasing temperature and the number of bacteria. The quantitative characterization of chemical oxygen consumption is based on the concept of oxidizability - the amount of oxygen in mg consumed for the oxidation of organic and inorganic substances contained in 1 liter of water (the so-called permanganate oxidizability for slightly polluted waters, and bichromate oxidizability (or COD - chemical oxygen consumption). Biochemical oxygen consumption (BOD, mg / l) is considered as a measure of water pollution and is defined as the difference in oxygen content in water before and after keeping it in the dark for 5 days at 20 ° C. Water with a BOD of no more than 30 mg / l is considered to be practically pure. Although WHO experts do not give a quantitative characterization of oxygen in drinking water, they nevertheless recommend "... to maintain the concentration of dissolved oxygen as close to the saturation level as possible, which in turn requires that the concentration of biologically oxidizing substances ... be as low as possible." oxygenated point of view water is corrosive to metal and concrete, which is undesirable. A compromise is the degree of saturation (relative oxygen content as a percentage of its equilibrium content) 75% (or equivalent from 7 in summer to 11 in winter mg O2 / l).

In drinking water, the pH value according to sanitary standards should be from 6 to 9, and in some soft drinks it can be 3-4. What is the role of this indicator and is it not harmful to drink drinks with such a low pH value?

In the WHO recommendations, the pH value is in an even narrower range of 6.5-8.5, but this is due to certain considerations. The pH is a value that characterizes the concentration of hydrogen ions H + (hydronium H3O +) in water or in aqueous solutions. Since this value, expressed in g-ions per liter of aqueous solution, is extremely small, it is customary to define it as a negative decimal logarithm of the concentration of hydrogen ions and denote it by the symbol pH. In pure water (or neutral solution) at 250C, the pH is 7 and reflects the equality of the H + and OH- ions ( hydroxyl group) as constituents of the water molecule. In aqueous solutions, depending on the ratio H + / OH-, the pH value can vary from 1 to 14. At a pH value of less than 7, the concentration of hydrogen ions exceeds the concentration of hydroxyl ions and water has an acidic reaction; at a pH greater than 7, the inverse relationship between H + and OH- takes place and the water is alkaline. The presence of various impurities in water affects the pH value, determining the rates and directions of chemical reactions. In natural waters, the pH value is significantly influenced by the ratio of the concentrations of carbon dioxide CO2, carbonic acid, carbonate and bicarbonate ions. The presence of humic (soil) acids, carbonic acid, fulvic acids (and other organic acids as a result of the decomposition of organic substances) in water lowers the pH value to 3.0 - 6.5. Groundwater containing calcium and magnesium bicarbonates has a pH value close to neutral. The noticeable presence of sodium carbonates and sodium bicarbonates in water increases the pH to values ​​of 8.5-9.5. The pH value of water in rivers, lakes, groundwater is usually in the range of 6.5-8.5, atmospheric precipitation 4.6-6.1, swamps 5.5-6.0, sea waters 7.9-8.3, and gastric juice - 1.6-1.8! Technological requirements to water for the production of vodka provide a pH value< 7,8, для производства пива – 6,0-6,5, безалкогольных напитков – 3,0-6,0. Поэтому в рекомендациях ВОЗ фактором ограничения pH служит не влияние этого показателя на здоровье человека, а технические аспекты использования воды с кислой или щелочной реакцией. При pH < 7 вода может вызывать коррозию metal pipes and concrete, and the stronger the lower the pH. At pH> 8, the efficiency of the chlorine disinfection process decreases and conditions are created for the precipitation of hardness salts. As a result, WHO experts come to the conclusion that "in the absence of a water distribution system, the permissible range of pH values ​​may be wider" than the recommended 6.5-8.5. It should be noted that the determination of the pH range did not take into account the diseases of the human gastrointestinal tract.

What does “stable water” mean?

In the general case, stable water is called water that does not corrode metal and concrete surfaces and does not emit calcium carbonate deposits on these surfaces. Stability is determined as the difference between the pH of a solution and its equilibrium pHS (Langelier index): if the pH is less than the equilibrium value, the water becomes corrosive; if it is more than the equilibrium value, calcium and magnesium carbonates precipitate. In natural waters, the stability of water is determined by the ratio between carbon dioxide, alkalinity and carbonate hardness of water, temperature, and pressure of carbon dioxide in the ambient air. In this case, the processes of establishing equilibrium proceed spontaneously and are accompanied either by precipitation of carbonates or by their dissolution. The ratio between carbon dioxide, bicarbonate and carbonate ions (derivatives of carbonic acid) is largely determined by the pH value. At pH below 4.5, of all the components of carbonate equilibrium, only carbon dioxide CO2 is present in water; at pH = 8.3, practically all carbonic acid is present in the form of bicarbonate ions, and at pH 12, only carbonate ions are present in water. When using water in municipal services, in industry, it is extremely important to take into account the factor of stability. To maintain the stability of the water, the pH, alkalinity or carbonate hardness is adjusted. If the water turns out to be corrosive (for example, during desalting, softening), then it should be enriched with calcium carbonates or alkalinized before being fed into the consumption line; if, on the contrary, the water is prone to precipitation of carbonate sediments, their removal or water acidification is required. For stabilization treatment of water, physical methods are used, such as magnetic and radio frequency treatment of water, which prevents the precipitation of hardness salts on the surfaces of heat exchangers, internal surfaces of pipelines. Chemical treatment consists in the introduction of special reagents based on phosphate compounds using dispensers, which prevent the deposition of hardness salts on heated surfaces due to their binding, adjusting the pH by dosing acids or passing water through granular materials such as dolomite (Corosex, Calcite, burnt dolomite), dosing various complexones based on derivatives of phosphonic acid, inhibiting the crystallization of carbonates of hardness salts and corrosion of carbon steels. To obtain the specified parameters and concentrations of water impurities, water conditioning is used. Water conditioning is carried out by a complex of equipment for water purification, its stabilization and dosage of necessary substances, for example, acids to reduce alkalinity, fluorine, iodine, mineral salts (for example, correction of the calcium content in the production of beer).

Isn't it harmful to use aluminum cookware if the aluminum content in drinking water is limited by sanitary standards?

Aluminum is one of the most abundant elements in the earth's crust - its content is 8.8% of the mass of the earth's crust. Pure aluminum is easily oxidized, becoming covered with a protective oxide film and forms hundreds of minerals (aluminosilicates, bauxites, alunites, etc.) and organoaluminium compounds, the partial dissolution of which by natural water causes the presence of aluminum in ground and surface waters in ionic, colloidal form and in the form of suspensions ... This metal has found application in aviation, electrical engineering, food and light industry, metallurgy, etc. Waste and atmospheric emissions from industrial enterprises, the use of aluminum compounds as coagulants in municipal water treatment increase its natural content in water. The concentration of aluminum in surface waters is 0.001 - 0.1 mg / dm3, and at low pH values ​​it can reach several grams per dm3. On the technical side, exceeding the concentration of 0.1 mg / dm3 can cause a discoloration of the water, especially in the presence of iron, and at levels above 0.2 mg / dm3, aluminum hydrochloride flakes may precipitate. Therefore, as the MPC, WHO experts recommend a value of 0.2 mg / dm3. Aluminum compounds, when ingested in a healthy person, practically do not have a toxic effect due to low absorption, although the use of water containing aluminum compounds for renal dialysis causes neurological disorders in patients receiving treatment. As a result of research, some experts come to the conclusion about the toxicity of aluminum ions for humans, which manifests itself in the effect on metabolism, the functioning of the nervous system, the reproduction and growth of cells, and the removal of calcium from the body. On the other hand, aluminum increases the activity of enzymes, promotes the acceleration of skin healing. Aluminum enters the human body mainly with plant foods; the share of water accounts for less than 10% of the total amount of incoming aluminum. Several percent of the total intake of aluminum is provided by other sources - atmospheric air, medicines, aluminum dishes and containers, etc. Academician Vernadsky believed that all natural elements that make up the earth's crust should be present in the human body to one degree or another. Since aluminum is a trace element, its daily intake should be small and within narrow limits. According to WHO experts, the daily intake can reach 60-90 mg, although the real one usually does not exceed 30-50 mg. SanPiN 10-124 RB99 classifies aluminum as a substance with a sanitary-toxicological indicator of hazard with hazard class 2 and limits the maximum permissible concentration to 0.5 mg / dm3.

Sometimes the water smells musty or suffocating. What is it connected with and how to get rid of it?

When using some surface or underground water sources, an unpleasant odor may be present in the water, causing consumers to refuse to use such water and to complain to the sanitary and epidemiological authorities. The appearance of a musty odor in water can have different causes and nature of occurrence. Decaying dead plants and proteinaceous compounds can give a putrid, herbal and even fishy odor to surface water. Wastewater from industrial enterprises - oil refineries, industrial plants mineral fertilizers, food factories, chemical and metallurgical plants, city sewerage can cause the appearance of odors of chemical compounds (phenols, amines), hydrogen sulfide. Sometimes the smell arises in the water distribution system itself, which has dead-end branches, storage tanks in the structure (which creates the possibility of stagnation), and is caused by the activity of molds or sulfur bacteria. Most often, the smell is associated with the presence of hydrogen sulfide H2S (characteristic smell of rotten eggs) or / and ammonium NH4 in the water. In underground waters, hydrogen sulfide in noticeable concentrations is due to the lack of oxygen, and in surface waters, as a rule, it is found in the bottom layers, where aeration and mixing of water masses is difficult. The reduction processes of bacterial decomposition and biochemical oxidation of organic substances cause an increase in the concentration of hydrogen sulfide. Hydrogen sulfide in natural waters is in the form of molecular H2S, hydrosulfide ions HS- and, less often, sulfide ions S2-, odorless. The ratio between the concentrations of these forms is determined by the pH values ​​of the water: sulfide - ion in an appreciable concentration can be detected at pH> 10; at pH<7 содержание H2S преобладает, а при рН=4 сероводород почти полностью находится в виде H2S. Аэрация в сочетании с коррекцией рН позволяет полностью избавиться от сероводорода при промышленном производстве бутилированной воды из подземных источников; в быту можно использовать угольные фильтры. Хотя специалисты ВОЗ не устанавливают рекомендуемой величины по причине легкого обнаружения даже следовых концентраций, следует считать ПДК сероводорода равной нулю. Основными источниками поступления ионов аммония в водные объекты являются животноводческие фермы, хозяйственно-бытовые сточные воды (до 2-7 мг/ дм3), поверхностный сток с сельскохозяйственных полей при использовании аммонийных удобрений, а также сточные воды предприятий пищевой, коксохимической, лесохимической и химической промышленности (до 1 мг/дм3). В незагрязненных поверхностных водах образование ионов аммония связано с процессами биохимического разложения белковых веществ. ПДК (с санитарно-токсикологическим показателем вредности) в воде водоемов хозяйственно - питьевого и культурно-бытового водопользования не должна превышать 2 мг/дм3 по азоту.

Does cobalt really have an anticarcinogenic effect and what quantities of it are acceptable for consumption without harm, but with benefit?

Cobalt is a chemical element, a heavy metal of silvery-white color with a reddish tint. Cobalt is a biologically active element that is part of vitamin B12 and is constantly present in all living organisms - plants and animals. Like any trace element, cobalt is useful and safe in a narrow range of daily doses of 0.1 - 0.2 mg with constant intake of the human body in total with food and water. At high concentrations, cobalt is toxic. Therefore, it is important to know and control its content in drinking water. Cobalt deficiency causes anemia, dysfunction of the central nervous system, and decreased appetite. The depressing effect of cobalt on the respiration of malignant tumor cells suppresses their reproduction. In addition, this element helps to increase the antimicrobial properties of penicillin 2-4 times.

Cobalt compounds enter natural waters as a result of their leaching from copper pyrite and other ores, from soils during the decomposition of organisms and plants, as well as with wastewater from metallurgical, metal-working and chemical plants. Cobalt compounds in natural waters are in a dissolved and suspended state, the quantitative ratio between which is determined by the chemical composition of water, temperature and pH values. Dissolved forms are represented mainly by complex compounds, including those with organic substances of natural waters. Divalent cobalt compounds are most typical for surface waters. In the presence of oxidants, trivalent cobalt may exist in noticeable concentrations. In unpolluted and slightly polluted river waters, its content ranges from tenths to thousandths of a milligram per 1 dm3, the average content in seawater is 0.5 μg / dm3. The highest concentration of cobalt is found in foods such as beef and veal liver, grapes, radishes, lettuce, spinach, fresh cucumber, black currants, cranberries, and onions. According to SanPiN 10-124 RB99, cobalt belongs to toxic heavy metals with a sanitary and toxicological hazard index with hazard class 2 and a maximum permissible concentration of 0.1 mg / dm3.

When using water from our own well, black-gray small grains appear. Isn't it harmful to drink such water?

An accurate "diagnosis" requires a chemical analysis of water, but from experience it can be assumed that the "culprit" of such troubles is manganese, which often accompanies iron in groundwater. Even at concentrations of 0.05 mg / dm3, which is two times lower than the maximum permissible, manganese can be deposited in the form of a deposit on the inner surfaces of pipes, followed by flaking and the formation of a black sediment suspended in water. Natural manganese enters surface waters as a result of leaching of minerals containing manganese (pyrolusite, manganite, etc.), as well as in the process of decomposition of aquatic organisms and plants. Manganese compounds enter water bodies with waste water from metallurgical plants and chemical industry enterprises. In river waters, the manganese content usually ranges from 1 to 160 μg / dm3, the average content in sea waters is 2 μg / dm3, in underground waters - hundreds and thousands of μg / dm3. In natural waters, manganese migrates in various forms - ionic (in surface waters there is a transition to high-valence oxides that precipitate), colloidal, complex compounds with bicarbonates and sulfates, complex compounds with organic substances (amines, organic acids, amino acids and humic substances) , sorbed compounds, in the form of manganese-containing suspensions of minerals washed out by water. The form and balance of manganese content in water is determined by temperature, pH, oxygen content, absorption and release of it by aquatic organisms, and underground drains. From a physiological point of view, manganese is a useful and even vital trace element, actively influencing the metabolic processes of proteins, fats and carbohydrates in the human body. In the presence of manganese, more complete assimilation of fats occurs. This element is necessary for a large number of enzymes, maintains a certain level of cholesterol in the blood, and also helps to enhance the action of insulin. After entering the blood, manganese penetrates into erythrocytes, enters into complex compounds with proteins and is actively adsorbed by various tissues and organs, such as the liver, kidneys, pancreas, intestinal walls, hair, endocrine glands. The most important in biological systems are manganese cations in the 2+ and 3+ oxidation states. Despite the fact that brain tissue absorbs less manganese, the main toxic effect of excessive consumption is manifested in the damage to the central nervous system. Manganese promotes the transition of active Fe (II) to Fe (III), which protects the cell from poisoning, accelerates the growth of organisms, promotes the utilization of CO2 by plants, thereby increasing the rate of photosynthesis, etc. Daily requirement a person in this element - from 5 to 10 mg - is provided mainly by food, among which various cereals (especially oat, buckwheat, wheat, corn, etc.), legumes, beef liver dominate. At concentrations of 0.15 mg / dm3 and higher, manganese can stain linen and impart an unpleasant aftertaste to drinks. The maximum permissible concentration of 0.1 mg / dm3 is established from the standpoint of its coloring properties. Manganese, depending on its ionic form, can be removed by aeration methods followed by filtration (at pH> 8.5), catalytic oxidation, ion exchange, reverse osmosis or distillation.

The processes of dissolution of various rocks (minerals halite, mirabilite, igneous and sedimentary rocks, etc.) are the main source of sodium intake in natural waters. In addition, sodium enters surface waters as a result of natural biological processes in open water bodies and rivers, as well as with industrial, domestic and agricultural wastewater. The concentration of sodium in the water of a particular region, in addition to hydrogeological conditions, type of industry, is also influenced by the season. Its concentration in drinking water usually does not exceed 50 mg / dm3; in river waters it ranges from 0.6 to 300 mg / dm3 and even more than 1000 mg / dm3 in areas with saline soils (for potassium no more than 20 mg / dm3), in underground - it can reach several grams and tens of grams per 1 dm3 on large depths (for potassium - similar). Sodium levels above 50 mg / dm3 up to 200 mg / dm3 can also be obtained from water treatment, especially in the sodium cationic softening process. High sodium intake, according to abundant evidence, does play a significant role in the development of hypertension in genetically sensitive individuals. However, the daily consumption of sodium with drinking water, even at high concentrations, is, as shown by a simple calculation, 15 - 30 times lower than with food, and cannot cause a significant additional effect. However, for people suffering from hypertension or heart failure, when it is required to limit sodium intake in total with water and food, but who want to use soft water, potassium - cationic softening can be recommended. Potassium is important in maintaining the automatism of the contraction of the heart muscle, the potassium-sodium "pump" maintains the optimal fluid content in the body. A person needs 3.5 g of potassium per day and its main source is food (dried apricots, figs, citrus fruits, potatoes, nuts, etc.). SanPiN 10-124 99 limits the sodium content in drinking water to a maximum concentration limit of 200 mg / dm3; potassium limits are not given.

What are dioxins?

Dioxins are a generalized name for a large group of polychlorinated artificial organic compounds (polychlorodibenzoparadioxins (PCDC), polychlorodibenzodifurans (PCDF) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCDF). 750 ° C). Appear as by-products in the synthesis of some herbicides, in the production of paper using chlorine, in the production of plastics, in the chemical industry, formed during the incineration of waste in incinerators. When released into the environment, they are absorbed by plants, soil and various materials. enter through the food chains into the organisms of animals and, in particular, fish.Atmospheric phenomena (winds, rains) contribute to the spread of dioxins and the formation of new foci of pollution.In nature, they decompose extremely slowly (more than 10 years), which causes their accumulation and impact on living organisms. When they enter the human body with food or water, dioxins affect the immune system, liver, lungs, cause cancer, genetic mutations of germ cells and embryonic cells, and the period of manifestation of their action can be months or even years. Signs of dioxin damage include weight loss, loss of appetite, refractory acne on the face and neck, keratinization, and discoloration (darkening) of the skin. The defeat of the eyelids develops. Extreme depression and drowsiness sets in. In the future, dioxin damage leads to dysfunctions of the nervous system, metabolism, and changes in blood composition. Most dioxins are found in meat (0.5 - 0.6 pg / g), fish (0.26 - 0.31 pg / g) and dairy products (0.1 - 0.29 pg / g), and in fat of these products, dioxins accumulate several times more (according to ZK Amirova and NA Klyuev), and practically are not found in vegetables, fruits and cereals .. Dioxins are one of the most toxic synthetic compounds. The permissible daily intake (ADI) is no more than 10 pg / kg of human weight per day (in the USA - 6fg / kg), which suggests that dioxins are a million times more toxic than heavy metals such as arsenic and cadmium. The accepted MPC in water of 20 pg / dm3 allows us to assume that with proper control by sanitary services and a daily water consumption of no more than 2.5 liters, we do not threaten to get poisoning with dioxins contained in the water.

What hazardous organic compounds can be in drinking water?

Among the natural organic substances found in surface water supply sources - rivers, lakes, especially in swampy areas - humic and fulvic acids, organic acids (formic, acetic, propionic, benzoic, butyric, lactic), methane, phenols, nitrogen-containing substances (amines, ureas, nitrobenzenes, etc.), sulfur-containing substances (dimethyl sulfide, dimethyl disulfide, methyl mercaptan, etc.), carbonyl compounds (aldehydes, ketones, etc.), fats, carbohydrates, resinous substances (secreted by coniferous trees), tannins (or tannides - phenol-containing substances), lignins (high-molecular substances produced by plants). These substances are formed as products of vital activity and decay of plant and animal organisms, some get into the water as a result of its contact with hydrocarbon (oil) deposits. The economic activity of mankind causes pollution of water basins with substances similar to natural ones, as well as thousands of artificially created chemicals, multiplying the concentration of unwanted organic impurities in water. In addition, materials from water distribution networks, as well as chlorination of water for disinfection purposes (chlorine is an active oxidizing agent and readily reacts with various organic compounds) and coagulants at the stage of primary water purification, add additional pollution to drinking water. These impurities include various groups of substances that can affect health: - humic substances, oil products, phenols, synthetic detergents (synthetic surfactants), pesticides, carbon tetrachloride CCl4, phthalic acid esters, benzene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), chlorobenzenes, chlorinated phenols, chlorinated alkanes and alkenes - carbon tetrachloride (carbon tetrachloride) CCl4 entering the purification stages, trihalomethanes (chloroform (trichloromethane) CHCl3, bromodichloromethane, dibromochloromethane) the process of water distribution vinyl chloride monomers, PAHs. If the concentration of natural organic substances in unpolluted and slightly polluted natural waters does not usually exceed tens and hundreds of μg / dm3, then in waters polluted by effluents, their concentration (as well as the spectrum) is significantly increased and can reach tens and hundreds of thousands of μg / dm3.

A certain part of organic substances is unsafe for the human body and their content in drinking water is strictly standardized. Especially dangerous (hazard class 2 and 1) include substances with a sanitary and toxicological sign of harmfulness, causing a pronounced negative impact on various organs and systems of a person, as well as having carcinogenic and (or) mutagenic effects. The latter include hydrocarbons such as 3,4-benzopyrene (MPC 0.005 μg / dm3), benzene (MPC 10 μg / dm3), formaldehyde (MPC 50 μg / dm3), 1,2-dichloroethane (MPC 10 μg / dm3), trichloromethane (MPC 30 μg / dm3), carbon tetrachloride (MPC 6 μg / dm3), 1,1-dichlorethylene (MPC 0.3 μg / dm3), trichlorethylene (MPC 30 μg / dm3), tetrachlorethylene (MPC 10 μg / dm3) , DDT (sum of isomers) (MPC 2 μg / dm3), aldrin and dieldrin (MPC 0.03 μg / dm3), β-HCCH (lindane) (MPC 2 μg / dm3), 2.4 - D (dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) (MPC 30 μg / dm3), hexachlorobenzene (MPC 0.01 μg / dm3), heptachlor (MPC 0.1 μg / dm3) and whole line other organochlorine substances. Effective removal of these substances is achieved using carbon filters or reverse osmosis systems. At municipal water treatment plants, it is necessary to ensure the removal of organic matter from the water before chlorination, or to choose methods of water disinfection alternative to the use of free chlorine. In SanPin 10-124 RB99, the amount of organic substances for which MPCs have been introduced reaches 1471.

Is it harmful to use water treated with polyphosphates for drinking?

Phosphorus and its compounds are extremely widely used in industry, utilities and agriculture, medicine, etc. Basically, phosphoric acid is produced and, on its basis, phosphoric fertilizers and technical salts - phosphates. V Food Industry, for example, phosphoric acid is used to regulate the acidity of jelly-like products and soft drinks, in the form of calcium phosphate additives in baked goods, for increased water retention in some food products, in medicine - for the production of drugs, in metallurgy - as a deoxidizer and dopant in alloys, in the chemical industry - for the production of degreasing and synthetic detergents based on sodium tripolyphosphate, in the municipal economy - to prevent scale formation due to the addition of polyphosphates to the treated water. Total phosphorus P, which exists in the human environment, is composed of mineral and organic phosphorus. The average mass content in the earth's crust is 9.3x10-2%, mainly in rocks and sedimentary rocks. Due to the intensive exchange between mineral and organic forms, as well as living organisms, phosphorus forms large deposits of apatite and phosphorite. The processes of weathering and dissolution of phosphorus-containing rocks, natural bioprocesses determine the content of total phosphorus in water (as mineral H2PO4- at pH< 6,5 и HPO42- pH>6.5 and organic) and phosphates in concentrations from units to hundreds of μg / dm3 (in dissolved form or in the form of particles) for unpolluted natural waters. As a result of pollution of water basins by agricultural (from fields 0.4-0.6 kg P per 1 ha, from farms - 0.01-0.05 kg / day per animal), industrial and household (0.003-0.006 kg / day per inhabitant) with effluents, the concentration of total phosphorus can significantly increase - up to 10 mg / dm3, often leading to the processes of eutrophication of water bodies. Phosphorus is one of the most important biogenic elements necessary for the life of all organisms. It is contained in cells in the form of ortho- and pyrophosphoric acids and their derivatives, is a part of phospholipids, nucleic acids, adenazine triphosphoric (ATP) acid and other organic compounds that affect metabolic processes, storage of genetic information, energy storage. Phosphorus in the human body is mainly contained in bone tissue (up to 80%) at a concentration of 5g% (per 100g of dry matter), and the exchange of phosphorus, calcium and magnesium is closely related. Lack of phosphorus leads to rarefaction of bone tissue, an increase in its fragility. In the tissues of the brain phosphorus is about 4g%, and in the muscles - 0.25g%. The daily requirement of the human body for phosphorus is 1.0 -1.5 g (great need in children). Foods richest in phosphorus - milk, cottage cheese, cheese, egg yolk, walnuts, peas, beans, rice, dried apricots, meat. The greatest danger to humans is represented by elemental phosphorus - white and red (the main allotropic modifications), which causes severe systemic poisoning and neurotoxic disorders. Regulations, in particular, SanPiN 10-124 RB 99 establish the MPC for elemental phosphorus of 0.0001 mg / dm3 according to the sanitary-toxicological criterion with 1 hazard class (extremely dangerous). As for the polyphosphates Men (PO3) n, Men + 2PnO3n + 1, MenH2PnO3n + 1, they have low toxicity, in particular hexametaphosphate used for quasi-softening of drinking water. The permissible concentration established for them is 3.5 mg / dm3 (according to PO43-) with a limiting indicator of harmfulness in terms of organoleptic characteristics.

Valves so contaminated in this manner are sometimes returned as "faulty". There is also a situation where the valves are returned without visible signs of malfunction; however, if the second valve in the same place again "loses its tightness", you can be sure that this is caused by the presence of a bypass in the system, i.e. the emergence of an undesirable hydraulic channel between the high pressure pipeline and that part of the system where the pressure is reduced.

Most often, a bypass channel occurs between an uncontrolled cold water supply system and a reduced pressure hot water supply system, where a pressure reduction valve is installed at the inlet to the hot water tank.

Somewhere in the system, cold and hot water supply pipelines are closed to one another. This could be a center thermostat faucet, but more commonly it is outlet fittings such as single outlet faucets, basin faucets, bath or shower thermostat faucets, etc. To prevent a bypass channel between cold and hot water pipelines, for example, in thermostat mixers, check valves are installed at the cold and hot water inlets.

If the non-return valve installed at the hot water connection does not work to cut off properly, then the pressure from the cold water system can be freely transferred to the hot water pipeline. If the cold water pressure exceeds the operating pressure or is higher than the pressure for which the safety valve of the hot water device is designed, this will lead to constant leakage. safety valve.

In some cases, this situation can only occur during the night, when low water consumption from the mains leads to an increase in static pressure. However, in most cases, the pressure gauge on the pipeline immediately upstream of the valve with decreasing pressure shows increased pressure due to the fact that the check valve downstream of the valve with decreasing pressure rarely closes completely.

However, the down pressure valve remains closed as long as the downstream pressure remains above the set pressure. Thus, the valve acts as a fully shut-off check valve. What's more, the D06F series pressure reducing valves are designed so that all parts of the outlet can withstand a pressure equal to the maximum allowable inlet pressure, without affecting the function of the valve.

In the case where the pressure reducing valve is located at a central point directly behind the water meter, the described problem does not arise, since the piping systems for cold and hot water are at the same pressure. However, a single branch upstream of the pressure reducing valve, for example, to a garage or garden, can cause such a problem in a system with a centrally located pressure reducing valve.

For the sake of completeness, it should also be noted that where a separate pressure reducing valve is installed to control a hot water tank, expansion of the water during heating can cause pressure to rise above the set level, up to the set pressure of the safety valve. This can also happen in the case of centrally installed valves with lower pressure, which will lead to the formation of the bypass described above in the direction opposite to the flow of water.

2. Insert it into the connector until it stops.

The tube is secured with a mechanical clamp. Apply additional force to seal the joint. In this case, the tube will be drowned by another 3 mm and will be tightly crimped with the rubber ring of the connector.

The tube is secured. Pull on the tubes slightly to check the connection.

Make sure the system is depressurized before disconnecting.

Disconnecting is just as easy.

1.Push on the ring at the base - the mechanical clamp will release the tube.

2. Pull out the tube.

- principle of action and application

Osmosis is an integral part of the life of living organisms and plants. Which ensures the metabolism at the cellular level. In this article, we will look at the reverse osmosis system: the principle of operation, its application, as well as the advantages and disadvantages.

There are two types of osmosis:

1) Direct osmosis system
2) Reverse osmosis system

Direct osmosis is a one-way diffusion of solvent molecules using a special membrane towards its lowest concentration. If the membrane were absent, then there would simply be concentration equalization in the vessel. The transfer is caused by osmotic pressure. Pressure, as a rule, depends on the type of solvent, composition and concentration of dissolved impurities.

Reverse osmosis is necessary to apply external pressure to a solvent, usually water. Water passes through the membrane towards a lower concentration of the solution and is thus purified. Dissolved substances settle in the solution, increasing their concentration. With the help of pressure, in this case, two tasks are solved at once:

1) Pressure stops direct osmosis, and in its absence, the process of direct osmosis inevitably begins to function.
2) With the help of pressure, the productivity of the installation is increased.

The amount of external pressure directly depends on the conditions and purposes of use. The higher the external pressure, the higher the filtration rate. In order to purify water in plumbing system, the pressure should be 3 - 3.5 atm. In the event that it is necessary to resort to desalting sea water, the pressure will be in the range of 70 - 80 atm. In practice, a special pump (pump) is used to obtain the required pressure.

Reverse osmosis system - application :

1) Reverse osmosis system for water desalination.
2) Reverse osmosis system for water purification from all kinds of impurities in industry and everyday life.
3) The reverse osmosis water purification system makes it possible to obtain ultrapure water for medicine.
4) The reverse osmosis water purification system is used in the food industry.
5) The reverse osmosis desalination device is used on large ships and submarines.
6) The reverse osmosis system is necessary in heat and power engineering for water treatment systems.

The reverse osmosis system found its use in 1970 and was the most common in water purification by reverse osmosis. This system is divided into two types: for household appliances and industrial systems. These two groups have a lot in common (osmosis and water treatment are inextricably linked). All systems are implemented in the form of several modules, each of which performs specific functions.

This is explained by the following :

A) All modules have different service life, therefore, replacement takes place at different times.
b) Mechanical impurities more often clog the membrane, so this filter must be replaced first.

The reverse osmosis system does not remove all impurities; chlorine is especially unpleasant and dangerous, which destroys membranes. Chlorine is removed by installing 1-2 carbon filters, which are placed after the mechanical filter for water purification. Also, this filter removes all organic compounds and iron (it is dangerous for membranes).

After the reverse osmosis filter, a mineralizer is usually installed, which allows you to add the necessary, but removed by the filter, minerals and salts. Further, the purified water is treated with ultraviolet light, which makes it possible to rid it of microorganisms by 100%.

The reverse osmosis installation diagram is as follows: mechanical water purification filter --- coal water purification filter No. 1 --- carbon filter No. 2 --- reverse osmosis water purification filter --- mineralizer --- sterilizer (UV). The number of cleaning stages can be up to 6-7. As a result of cleaning, the water is divided into two channels:

A) Treated water enters household systems and consumers, or into a water storage tank.
b) Water (brine) with a high salt content is discharged into the sewer system.

A reverse osmosis water filter is a reverse osmosis membrane. Modern membranes are made from a synthetic polymer composite material.

The surface membrane creates a special layer of water that does not dissolve the salts it contains, and also prevents them from passing through it. Depending on what the membrane is intended for, the method of its execution (plate or roll material) depends.

By its design, the membrane of a reverse osmosis water purification filter is a porous structure made of composite material. The main requirement is that the membrane must pass only water through itself, while retaining dissolved impurities. For water, the pore diameter should be 0.0001 microns, but for substances such as chlorine, oxygen and fluorine, it is not an obstacle.

The reverse osmosis membrane has two main parameters, such as the degree of purification (99% for almost all substances) and productivity (depends on the pressure).

The reverse osmosis water purification filter purifies the first water in composition close to distilled, and the second purifies by 96-98% (from solutes) and 100% from microorganisms. The third water, in spite of the fact that it has high efficiency, is also not without its drawbacks.

Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Filter Advantages :

1) Has a high degree of purification
2) Has a wide range of applications
3) High performance
4) In heat power engineering, it has a low consumption during operation, when compared with ion-exchangers. Does not require regeneration and reagent stock.

Reverse osmosis water filter disadvantages :

1) It has a very high degree of purification, which in some cases requires the mineralization of purified water, especially drinking water.
2) It is very sensitive to some impurities that destroy the reverse osmosis membrane (chlorine, fluorine, iron, manganese, hardness salts).
3) Pretreatment of the initial solution is required.

The principle of operation and the scheme of filtration of reverse osmosis

Reverse osmosis is the most widespread technology for deep purification of tap water today. It is based on the use of a partially permeable membrane, which is able to purify water from salts and other unwanted impurities.

The principle of water purification by reverse osmosis is quite simple: under pressure, water molecules pass through a "sieve" of a semi-permeable membrane, then through finishing carbon filters, where extraneous odors and tastes are finally removed from the water, and its acid-base balance is normalized. The output is ultrafiltered water, completely suitable for drinking and cooking.

All larger particles of the source water are retained and are sent through the reverse osmosis system to the drainage (sewer).

What is worth checking in the reverse osmosis system if the filter is not working correctly

Structurally, this filtration system consists of several cartridges with carbon filters and a membrane, as well as a reservoir for purified water.


Reverse osmosis systems, like any other filter elements, can clog over time, some of its elements may not work correctly, which reduces the filter's performance.

If the filter emits extraneous sounds, vibrates, works slowly, does not drain water, or, conversely, sends a large number of water to drain, the following parameters should be checked:

• Water pressure in the water supply is the most common cause of reverse osmosis filter malfunctions. It should be at least 2.5-3 atmospheres (at different manufacturers different requirements for this parameter). At a lower pressure, the performance of the system drops sharply - water is very slowly drawn into the reservoir. In this case, a large amount of water will go into the drainage.
• Permeability of pretreatment cartridges... In case of any interruptions in the operation of the reverse osmosis system, it is necessary to measure the pressure before and after the pre-filter, since clogged prefilters reduce the pressure on the membrane.
• Tank pressure. Initially, all tanks are pumped at the factory (in an empty tank, the pressure should be in the range from 0.25 to 0.6 atm). Depending on the pressure in the water supply system, it may be necessary to adjust the pressure in an empty tank.
• Water discharge shut-off valve operation... When filling the tank with purified water, the discharge of water into the drain should stop. If water continues to flow into the drain, then the problem is in the valve.

Typical malfunction cases and methods of their correction

If serious problems arise (diaphragm damage, tank leakage, etc.) reverse osmosis repair... However, very often malfunctions are of a local nature and you can fix them yourself.

Here is a list of the most common problems and how to fix them:

1. Water constantly flows into the drain.

Possible reasons:

• insufficient pressure - if the actual inlet pressure is lower than required by the filter manufacturer, then a boost pump must be installed;
• clogged replaceable filter cartridges - they need to be replaced;
• the shut-off valve is faulty - if, even after a few minutes, water continues to flow out of the drain pipe with the tap on the storage tank closed, the shut-off valve must be replaced.

1. Leaks.

Possible reasons:

• not sealed connection of the tubes - the edges of the tubes are cut off unevenly or they are not inserted all the way;
• screw connections are loose - check and tighten all existing nuts;
• there are no O-rings on the connections - install;
• high pressure (above 6 atmospheres), sharp jumps - install a reduction gear before the first prefilter;

1. The tank is not full.

Possible reasons:

• the first connection of the system - the tank is filled within one and a half to two hours;
• clogged cartridges and / or reverse osmosis membrane - replace them;
• the check valve in the membrane flask is clogged - unscrew and rinse under running water, put in place;
• drainage water flow restrictor clogged - replace it;
• too high or insufficient pressure in the tank - all the water is drained from the tank and the pressure in the nipple is checked using a car pump with a pressure gauge. At high pressure in the pipeline (3.5-6 atmospheres), the pressure in the tank can be 0.5-0.6 atm. If there is no more than 2 atmospheres in the water supply system, then in the tank it can also be lowered to 0.25-0.4 atm. High inlet pressure can cause noise and vibration during system operation. If the pressure in the water main is below 2.5 atm, filter manufacturers recommend additionally installing a booster pump.

1. Water flows very slowly:

• low pressure in the main pipeline - if the inlet pressure is lower than required by the instructions, it is necessary to install a boost pump;
• low pressure in the tank - check and normalize;
• pinched tubes - check, eliminate kinks;
• cartridges and / or reverse osmosis membrane are clogged - replace them;
• too cold water supply - operating temperature - + 4-40 ° С.

1. White water comes from the tap- a sign of the presence of air in the system, after a few days of osmosis operation, the problem will disappear.

1. Filtered water has an unpleasant taste (color, odor).

Possible reasons:

• the order of connecting the pipes is broken - compare with the diagram in the instructions, correct if necessary;
• the membrane is clogged and / or the cartridges have run out - replace them;
• not all of the preservative has been removed from the tank - empty the tank several times and refill it.

1. Noise and vibration during system operation, water does not flow into the drain:

• high pressure (more than 6 atmospheres), sharp jumps - it is required to install a reduction gear before the first prefilter;
• Restrictor of water flow to drain is clogged - remove blockage or replace restrictor.

VIDEO INSTRUCTION

Diaphragm operation check

The reverse osmosis membrane may fail earlier than the declared resource for the following reasons:

1. too contaminated source water.
2. low pressure (in this case, an excess amount of water passes through the membrane).
3. the concentrate flow restrictor is defective.

To check the performance of the membrane, you should measure the amount of water sent to the drain and the amount of purified water. It is considered normal Reverse osmosis efficiency 5-15%, i.e. 85-95% of water goes to drainage.

The easiest express way to reliably check the performance of the membrane is to purchase a TDS meter. This small salt meter, which costs about 1000 rubles, allows you to find out the content of impurities in the water.

After osmosis, the TDS meter should show no more than 15 units. If the indicator is higher, then the membrane is working ineffectively and needs to be replaced.