Year: 2018

Fluoride is naturally found in soil, water and many food products. It is also synthetically produced for use in drinking water supply as it is found that fluoride can prevent tooth decay. But, there is a huge ongoing controversy that Fluoride content in drinking water supply for the public is increasing. The increase in fluoride intake over time can cause a lot of serious health hazards including dental and skeletal Fluorosis which can damage bones and joints. It is important to get your drinking water supply checked for fluoride content to prevent any health hazards. The permissible amount of fluoride in drinking water is 0.7 milligrams per liter. If it exceeds this limit, you need to filter the water and these tips can help in doing that effectively without burning a hole in your pocket. Filtration Processes that Removes Fluoride Reverse Osmosis Fluoride Removal Process The complete Reverse Osmosis (RO) filtration process removes fluoride from bottled water that is available for consumption in the market. However, it is not affordable for personal use. But there are lower strength Reverse Osmosis filters which provide up to 90% fluoride removal at affordable prices. Most of the whole house and commercial water filter systems have RO filtration system to effectively remove fluoride from water. Distillation Fluoride Removal Process Many commercial water filters use distillation filtration process to remove fluoride from water. This is one of the cheaper methods but does not work for longer durations as the fluoride residue chokes the cartridges easily. It should be kept in mind that distilled water bottles available in the market do not essentially mean that they do not contain fluoride in them. It is important to properly read the labels of commercially available water bottles regarding the fluoride amounts. Activated Alumina De-fluoridation Filter This process is used commonly in the areas where the cases of Fluorosis are prevalent. They are rather expensive and do not filter water from any other impurity except fluoride contamination. The cartridges too require frequent replacement and the filters consume a lot of electricity. In such case, there are many water filters with the activated alumina cartridges added to the normal RO systems to provide higher quality of purification without increased expenses. Processes That Do Not Remove Fluoride Most Of Commercially Available Filters Most of the water filter systems available today do not remove fluoride unless they specifically state that they do. Many companies provide a note on the label with the excluded list that includes fluoride. Boiling Water It is a myth that boiling water purifies it from all contaminations. But it rather creates a surface layer of concentrated fluoride instead of reducing it. Freezing Water Another myth is that lowering the temperature of water or freezing it deactivates fluoride but that does not happen either. It is best to buy an RO filter system from a reputed company with detailed analysis of the label regarding the filtration of fluorine. This will help in reducing the fluoride content and prevent many health hazards.