Reverse Osmosis And How Does It Work

One of the greatest dilemmas in the U.S. is the chlorine contents present in the drinking water. If your tap water comes from a local water treatment facilities, if you pay water bill, then chlorine is your biggest problem. There are more then 2000 chemicals in our tap water. Any of them could be cause health complications. Several companies offer whole house reverse osmosis as a solution to the water problems.

RO or reverse osmosis is a process of purifying water or other liquids such as fruit juices by passing them through a semi permeable membrane that filters out unnecessary substances. In reverse osmosis, water, under high pressure is enforced through a membrane. The membrane entraps dirt, mud and debris. Many public facilities use reverse osmosis as one-step in their water treatments. In rural areas, where water comes from a river or even an ocean, whole house reverse osmosis can be used to make water suitable for kitchen use.

For most of us, our tap water is already "suitable" for kitchen use. It is just not that safe. One of the big problems is that water treatment services add chlorine to the water to protect the membrane in reverse osmosis systems from rot.

Chlorine is basically a disinfectant. It is really just bleach. It kills living organisms that can grow on a reverse osmosis membrane. So, logically, the membrane does not filter out the chlorine.
If your question is how does reverse osmosis work to filter chemicals out of the water, the answer is that it does not. The "holes" in the membrane are simply not small enough to trap chemicals, such as chlorine. So, if someone is trying to sell you a whole house reverse osmosis system and your water comes from a water treatment facility, do not buy it.

A whole house reverse osmosis system is a waste of money for most people. And, even for those who need one, it is a waste of water. For every one gallon of water that is filtered, about five gallons are wasted.

Another disadvantage to a whole house reverse osmosis system is that it removes minerals from the water. We need those trace minerals. They are good for our health. Certain industries need de-mineralized water and that was one reason the system was originally designed. It was not designed as a solution for people to have cleaner, better tasting drinking water.
If you want better drinking water, you want a multi-stage filter that includes a carbon activated filter. That is the bottom line.

Hopefully, this information answers your questions about how does reverse osmosis work.

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Sanitization

It is common knowledge since long that ultraviolet light can decompose organic molecules but only a few decades ago science explored into cleaning surfaces using UV rays. Experiments conducted in early 1970’s, proved UV light a great surface cleaner. Scientists learned through research and experimentation that the combination of ozone and UV could clean surfaces up to two thousand times faster as compared to one or the other alone.

Most house holds use UV lamps to drive away insects and kill micro-organisms. These are called germicidal lamps. Modern day buildings and offices use UV radiation in the C band for a wide array of germicidal applications to eradicate bacteria, yeast, mold, and viruses.

UV light treatments are typically used in pharmaceuticals, hospitals, beverage production, meat storage and processing plants, bakeries, breweries, animal laboratories. UV light can be used anywhere where microbial contamination is a major concern. As a treatment these are used in the upper air where a beam running across the ceiling keeps the indoor air quality free of microbial contamination.



If your employees or building occupants have concerns about the indoor air quality or have increased illnesses as colds, flu, asthma, weakness, burning eyes, itching skin, rashes, sore throats, allergies, lethargy, or headaches, then you should put an IAQ evaluation of the building on top of your list.

Get your building and the HVAC system inspected. Look for bacteria affecting your workers, colleagues or fellow residents. Your living and working spaces need inspection for mycotoxins and endotoxins.

Look up http://www.jnblabs.com/ - Indoor Air Quality Experts. JNB can investigate, test and remedy IAQ related concerns and problems.

Coal Dust is Hazardous to Health

In areas where coal dust is a hazard to health, workers should use proper protective clothing and equipment that can prevent skin contact with coal dust. Suitable protective equipment that includes gloves, sleeves, encapsulating suits should be chosen based on the level of exposure to coal dust. Manufacturers’ data should be carefully studied to evaluate the performance of the protective equipment.

Any chemical-resistant clothing that is used should be periodically evaluated to determine its effectiveness in preventing dermal contact. Safety goggles or face shields can be worn during an operation in which coal dust can infect the eyes. For safety, eye wash stations and showers should be located close to operations that involve coal dust.

Coal workers should wear work uniforms and coveralls that can be washed daily. Employers should provide workers with lockers to store work and street clothing separately. Employers should collect work clothing at the end of each work shift and provide for its laundering. Laundry personnel should be knowledgeable about the potential danger of handling contaminated clothing and instructed about procedures to minimize their health risk.

Protective wear should be kept free of oil and grease and should be inspected and maintained regularly to preserve its effectiveness. As a coal dust remedy, JNB Labs offers Coal Seal 140 that can build a crust on the surface of the coal and prevent the coal from making hazardous dust.

Coal Dust Exposure Affect - Coal Seal 140

Coal dust has been rated as a fire hazard and the airborne dust is considered as explosion hazard when exposed to fire or extremely hot temperatures. In case of fires involving coal dust water spray, fog, or regular foam is used to fight large fires. People can get easily exposed to coal dust through inhalation, ingestion, and eye contact.


Coal dust causes pneumoconiosis, bronchitis and emphysema in exposed workers and neighbors. When you inhale unnecessary amounts of coal dust you may get coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath. Chronic exposure to coal dust may result in symptoms of bronchitis and emphysema. In smokers, the risk will be higher since smoking damages the bronchial tree making it easier for viruses to cause infection. Smoking also slows down the healing process, so it takes longer for you to get well.

Those workers who handle coal inventories are exposed to coal dust. They need to wash their hands, forearms, and face with soap and water before eating, using tobacco products, using toilet facilities, applying cosmetics, or taking medication. Workers should not eat, drink, use tobacco products, apply cosmetics, or take medication in areas where coal dust is produced by coal inventory.

JNB Labs uses Coal Seal 140 a propriety solution to remedy the problem of coal dust by seal coating the coal surface.

Industrial Waste Water Treatment

Wastewater Treatment in industries can help save costs and prevents hazards. There are various types of contamination of wastewater that need treatment.



Water contamination from solids is treated using sedimentation, filtration or ultra-filtration. The uncomplicated sedimentation techniques are useful in many cases while the slurry or sludge is removed in a cost effective manner.


Where the density of the solid is closer to the density of water serious problems may arise and these are treated using filtration or ultra-filtration techniques. In case sedimentation or filterability of small particles is a problem flocculants are used in the treatment process to resolve the problem. These are also used in swimming pool or drinking water filtration to help eradicate microscopic elements.


Where wastewater is contaminated by oil and grease an American Petroleum Institute (API) oil-water separator is used. Certain oils can be removed from the surface of water using skimming apparatus while hydraulic oils and those that have sullied to a certain degree require further treatment. With the separator the oil rises to the surface while the solids settle down. The water layer is sent for further removal of residual oil and then to a biological treatment unit for removal of detrimental dissolved chemical compounds. Another option is the parallel plate separator that includes tilted parallel plate assemblies also called as parallel packs. It requires significantly less space than a conventional API separator to achieve the same results.





In the category of soft organics, organic material from plants and animals can be treated using extended conventional wastewater treatment processes such as activated sludge or trickling filter. Problems can arise When the wastewater is excessively diluted with washing water or concentrated with blood problem can arise. Cleaning agents, disinfectants, pesticides, or antibiotics can have a harmful impacts on treatment processes.


Hard organics are synthetic organics such as solvents, paints, pharmaceuticals, pesticides and coking products. Water treatment methods include distillation, adsorption, incineration, chemical immobilization or landfill disposal. Some detergents can cause biological degradation and require a customized form of wastewater treatment. Water has to be tested to verify the characteristic of the pollutant. Another type of contamination found in industrial wastewater is caused by acids and alkalis. This can be treated using Neutralization. This process results in a solid residue that can also be toxic and requires treatment.


Wastewater streams with hardness ions can be easily treated through a process of de-ionization. Toxic materials in wastewater are metals, acids and alkalis, non-metallic elements such as arsenic or selenium. These can often be precipitated out by changing the pH or by treatment with other chemicals.

Residential And Industrial Wastewater Treatments

The potable water becomes wastewater after infecting natural or artificial microbiological compounds that arise out of human activities, commercial and industrial sources. Their contamination can accompany with surface water, ground water and storm water. Wastewater is sewage, storm-water and water that have been used for a variety of purposes around the community. Unless properly treated, wastewater can harm public health and the environment. The majority of communities generate wastewater from both residential and non-residential resources.

Residential wastewater is a combination of various types of toxic waste present in flush water and all types of wastewater generated from every room in a house. It is generally known as sewage and is much diluted. There are two types of domestic sewage: black-water or wastewater from toilets, and grey water, which is wastewater from all sources except toilets. Black-water and gray-water have different characteristics, but both contain pollutants and carry agents which can cause lethal diseases. Sewage varies regionally in the United States and from home to home. These are based on issues such as the number and type of water-using fixtures and appliances used at homes and even their habits, such as the types of food they eat.

In places such as industrial complexes, factories, offices, restaurants, farms and hospitals non-residential wastewater characteristics, communities need to evaluate each source individually to ensure that sufficient water treatment is provided. For example, laundries differ from many other industrial sources because they produce high volumes of wastewater containing lint fibers. Restaurants typically generate a lot of oil and grease. In addition, many industries produce wastewater high in chemical and biological pollutants that, can overburden onsite and community wastewater treatment systems.

Storm-water is a nonresidential source and carries trash and other pollutants from streets, as well as pesticides and fertilizers from yards and fields. Communities may require these types of nonresidential sources to provide preliminary treatment to protect community systems and public health.

COAL DUST IS LETHAL FOR LUNGS

Coal dust is an odorless, dark brown to black dust created by the crushing, grinding, or pulverizing coal.

Exposure to coal pile dust can cause coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath while chronic exposure to coal dust may result in symptoms of pneumoconiosis, bronchitis and emphysema that will require medical expense to cure.

Coal dust may cause coal workers' pneumoconiosis which is characterized by development of coal macules, a collection of coal dust particles with reticulin and collagen accumulation. These lesions can be seen as small opacities on X-rays.

While complicated CWP is characterized by lesions consisting of a mass of rubbery, well defined black tissue sticking to the chest wall. This causes a decrease in ventilatory capacity, low diffusing capacity, low arterial oxygen tension, pulmonary hypertension, and premature death. The disease can progress even after the cessation of exposure. The coal dust accumulates in the lungs and the tissue's reaction to its presence leads to complications.

Coal dust is also recognized as a cause of chronic bronchitis. Chronic bronchitis is characterized by a persistent cough that produces sputum and yellowish green or green mucus, for at least three months in two consecutive years. Coal dust irritates the airways to the point of inflammation.

Exposure to coal dust is associated with an increased risk of focal emphysema, which is also very dangerous condition for lungs. At coal fired power plants, proper measures should be taken to protect employees from coal dust. JNB excels in fugitive dust control measures and is great to consult with. Not only are they experts at water treatment but since 1982, they have mastered fugitive dust control measures.

For more info:
http://www.jnblabs.com/project/jnb_coal.htm

Hydrogen Peroxide - A Biocide And Corrosion Inhibitor

“Peroxide is a very strong oxidizing agent. It is the third strongest oxidizing material next to ozone and fluorine. It functions by oxidizing or “burning” anything it contacts. In the oxidation process, the peroxide is reduced to water and oxygen.

The contact of peroxide with any organic will reduce the organic to carbon dioxide and water with any inorganic portion reduced to ash or a silt. It is in this manner that peroxide functions as a most effective biocide. It will oxidize animal life (bacteria) by destroying the cell walls resulting in sterilization. In the case of plant life, (algae, fungus and molds) it will again oxidize the cells and convert to carbon dioxide and water with some inorganic silt (suspended solids). In all cases, the driving force is the level of residual peroxide.

The contact of peroxide with a metal surface will cause an oxide to form on that surface. This is the principal basis for peroxide acting as a corrosion inhibitor. The maintenance of the barrier oxide layer on the metal surface is the mechanism of protection with peroxide. The tendency in the system environment is for suspended solids fouling, biological fouling and scaling to act as deterrents to maintain the oxide barrier. The peroxide serves most effectively for control of the biological aspect. Suspended solids must be controlled through filtration and system blow down. Other chemistry factors like calcium hardness, alkalinity, conductivity and pH must be balanced
for scale control.”

(Excerpt from Alcatel Lucent Trial 2007)

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