10) Which elements does your reverse osmosis system remove from the water?

As stated previously, a five micron sediment pre-filter and a 2 micron carbon pre-filter remove suspended solids, chlorine, organic chemicals, and anything larger than 2 microns.

Organic chemicals are chemical compounds derived from plants or animals, as well as other compounds of carbon.

A high quality carbon filter will remove more than 98% of organic chemicals from the water. These include THMs (chloroform), DBCP, lindane, TCEs (trichloroethylene), PCEs (tetrachloroethylene), carbon tetrachloride, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, chlorine, 1,2-dichloroethane, EDBs (ethylene dibromide), and PCBs.

The water then proceeds to the Reverse Osmosis membrane. Its pores are so tiny (about 6/10,000th of a micron or 1/50,000th of an inch), it removes more contaminants from the water, including viruses, bacteria, and cysts (especially Giardia and Cryptosporidium). In addition, here is a partial list of other contaminants removed by the FilmTec Special Performance Membrane. (The percentages are a conservative estimate.)

TYPICAL SPECIAL PERFORMANCE MEMBRANE REJECTION RATE*

* Feed water: 60 psi, 76 degrees Fahrenheit, pH of 8
Here are some additional contaminants which the FilmTec membrane removes from the water. [To view this chart, you will need to use the Adobe Acrobat Reader software available free from Adobe Systems Incorporated. This software allows you to view, navigate and print PDF (Portable Document Format) files.]

List of solutes removed