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I’m seated on my desk on a Saturday evening with a glass of water purified using a zero water filter pitcher, and I start wondering does zero water filter remove fluoride? So I did some research. Here’s what I found in a nutshell.
Zerowater removes virtually all the fluoride dissolved in water. Independent testing by the Water Quality Association (WQA) shows that it removes approximately 99.6% of total dissolved substance in water. Through a process of ion exchange, zero water removes all inorganic chemicals that are dissolved in water, such that only pure water (H2O) remains behind. Let us dig deeper and find out how Zerowater works.
A better guide written on removing fluoride is here.
Now let us dive in and look at zero water and how it works…
How does zero water filter remove fluoride?
Zero water 5-stage filtration.
Stage 1 is a coarse filter screen that removes solids that are in the water but not dissolved like dust, rocks, and rust.
Stage 2 is a special filter Foam that also removes additional suspended solids.
Stage 3 involves water passing through multiple layers of activated carbons and oxidation reducing alloy. At this stage contaminants such as chlorine, chloramine, pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals are removed.
Stage 4 involves a process of ION exchange whereby resin acts as a medium of ion exchange. Through this process separation of H2O molecules and dissolved solids occurs. It’s at this stage that fluoride which is an inorganic chemical is removed from the water.
stage 5 the removal of remaining suspended solids by a fine screen and non-woven layer to remove the suspended solids that might be remaining in the water.
How long does a zero water filter last?
Every single Zerowater filter cartridge can purify 25 to 40 gallons. It depends on the quality of water you have. If the total dissolved substances (including fluoride) are high, it reduces the number of gallons to be processed.
Related post: ZeroWater vs Aquagear- which is the best filter? >>> here
After each round of filtration, you should use the total dissolved meter to measure the quality of water that it has been produced. When you notice that the quality is bad, that will indicate you will need to change the cartridge.
ZeroWater TDs Table
A four pack of ZeroWater cartridge will cost you around $40 which translates to $10 per unit.
Does zero water remove bacteria?
Zerowater does not kill microorganisms such as bacteria, cysts, and virus. If you are using water from a private well which has not been treated with chlorine, you should know that zero-water cannot kill microorganisms. However, if you treat water that has already been treated with chlorine like city water, you don’t need to worry about microorganisms because chlorine has already killed them.
ZeroWater filter problems
Removing healthy minerals
One of the disadvantages of using zero water is that it get rids of not only the harmful chemicals, but also removes the healthy minerals such as calcium, iron, and others which are need by the body for proper functioning. Although Zero water tastes great, it has no benefit to the body because all the minerals have been stripped away.
zero water clogged
zero water filters are mostly enclosed making them difficult to unclog. When you notice that your filter is taking a lot of time to process, it is most likely that there is an airlock. The solution is to mostly unscrew the filter from its position and then attach it back to its position. You can also poke several holes into the screen, but you should be careful not to poke too deeply.
Smell like a fish
Because zero-water is made with anion resins which under a certain condition is known to release a chemical called trimethylamine which has a rotten fish smell. The release of trimethylamine is triggered by certain minerals and very acidic water. If you notice that you have this problem, the solution will be to change the cartridges more frequently. In addition, washing your pitcher more frequently with very hot water also helps.
Zero water alkaline/acidity levels
The alkalinity of water refers to the PH level which is higher than 7 on the pH scale. Water with a PH level of less than 7 is said to be acidic.
Drinking alkaline water is beneficial because it helps your body neutralize the acidity of different foods and drinks. Most importantly, the body’s acidity levels increase when you are under a lot of stress; thus drinking alkaline water will help to lower the acidity levels in the body.
Read: Best Sediment filters- complete reviews here
Water that is rich in minerals such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, and iron is more alkaline. Because zero water produces water that has zero dissolved minerals, it tends to have lower pH levels making it more acidic. The water tends to have a pH of 4.0pH. Furthermore, when the zero water filters deteriorate the acidity tends to increase.
Conclusion
Does zero water remove fluoride? the answer is a definite yes. As we have seen zero water removes virtually all the total dissolved substances in the water through a five-stage filtration process. Therefore, because fluoride is just an inorganic chemical that dissolves in water, it will be filtered out by Zero water.
A single zero water cartridge will process approximately 10-40 gallons of water depending on the quality of water. Although zero-water is good at removing dissolved and suspended solids in water, it does not kill micro-organisms like bacterias; you need to use chlorine or chloramine to remove bacterias.
For all its benefit in removing harmful chemicals in water, it has several problems. For example, it removes even the healthy minerals such as calcium and potassium from the water.
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ABOUT LEON SMITH
Leon is a 27-year-old blogger from Mauritius who is currently studying for a Master’s degree in chemical and processing Engineering at the University of Eldoret in Kenya. Read more about him.