Many people have a problem with sulfates in their water. Sulfates are a combination of sulfur and oxygen and are a part of naturally occurring minerals that dissolve over time and are released into groundwater. From there of course, it makes its way into our homes and through our faucets. The presence of hydrogen sulfide is not necessarily a health risk. However it is a nuisance as it has a distinctive rotten egg smell and bitter taste, can cause scale buildup in our pipes as well as have a laxative effect on us. The sulfur can be eliminated with a good sulfur filter through several different methods.
Choosing which treatment method and filter you need will depend on many factors including:
o the level of sulfate
o the amount of iron and manganese
o if bacterial contamination must also be treated
o how much liquid you need to treat
Iron Solder
For treating small quantities of h2o (for example drinking and cooking only):
o Most common methods would be through distillation or reverse osmosis.
Distillation:
o This method is used by boiling water to form steam, followed by cooling and then recondensing
Reverse Osmosis:
o Most common type of sulfur filters for under sink filtration systems. This method is very effective to completely clean your water. Excellent if your h2o is full of many contaminants. It will however also remove all of the good minerals that your body needs. So if you chose this method, be sure to supplement with trace minerals from a health food store.
For treating large quantities (for example whole house systems):
o Most common method would be ion exchange.
Ion Exchange:
o Ion-exchange resin which is contained inside the unit will absorb the sulfate. The resin must be regenerated with a salt brine solution consistently.
There are many different sulfur water filters to choose from. Two of the best on the market right now are Aquasana and Crystal Quest. A little shop and comparison online will help you to find the exact one that will fit your needs. Sulfur is easily removed with a good filter and you will find that your water will taste better and smell better, as well as be safer to drink.