Discrediting The Myths About Deionized Water

By Author: Jo Alelsto
Total Articles: 405
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There is so much discussion about deionized water going on. But what is this type of water? There are different types of pure water and they are so named depending on the type of treatment process they undergo. Distillation leads to distilled water; reverse osmosis leads to RO water; deionization leads to deionized or demineralized water. All these are pure water devoid of impurities. Essentially they are the same, pure H2O containing no solutes and colloidal particles.

Water needs to undergo treatment process to be useful because this kind of liquid coming from reservoirs has limited use because of too much impurity. For industrial and scientific use, it needs to be treated to an extent that no impurity affects the product quality of lab experiments. Deionization is one of the important processes that render it pure. It is one of the final stages of water treatment. However, many people have been deceived by false notions about deionized or demineralized water.

Deionied water is not pure.

Some critics say that deionized (DI) water is not pure because it is merely water that does not have ions. ...
... All right, the process of deionization removes ions and in so doing it removes remaining minerals in the liquid. Deionization may be employed in raw water but this is a counter-effective process because raw water can easily spoil the resin beds. Thus, most water companies make sure that the liquid which should undergo this process is refined first to remove as much contaminant as possible. This is why DI water is one of the purest forms of water available in the market.

Deionized water still contains pathogenic bacteria and microorganisms.

Indeed, deionization strictly describes the process of removal of ions from water. Ion exchange resin beds are incapable of removing organic impurities and microorganisms. Organic impurities and microorganisms are removed during reverse osmosis, a treatment process employed prior to deionization. After it has been deionized, there may still be bacteria remaining. Deionization only removes charged particles. Thus, it may actually remove gram-negative bacteria. To make sure the liquid doesn't contain microorganisms, ultraviolet treatment is employed. DI water undergoes various treatment methods that it is one of the highest grade water types available. Because microorganisms are removed, this type of water is very hygienic and sanitary, making it appropriate for scientific purposes. When used in laboratories, it is called laboratory water and is used when preparing tissue culture and microbial culture. Tap water has microbes that can multiply in nutrient rich culture.

Demineralized water or distilled is not safe for your health.

This is the biggest misconception ever hurled about all types of pure water. It has been said that water that doesn't have ions becomes an aggressive dissolving agent. Water without ions will easily steal ions from its surroundings and that is why it is an effective rinsing agent because it removes dirt more effectively than tap water does. But some anxious nutritionists believe that drinking of DI water causes health issues because it quickly causes minerals to leach out of the body. It has also been said that pure water has no nutritional value because of the lack of minerals.

According to other experts, demineralized water does not necessary take away minerals from the body because the human body is composed of complex biological systems. The straightforward understanding is that it will easily dissolve minerals in the mouth and throat and quickly becomes re-ionized. There is no enough evidence that long-term consumption of pure water leads to health defects or weaker bones.

On the other hand, some proponents say that it has the power to detoxify the body. But there is also not enough evidence to prove that water devoid of minerals effectively flushes out toxins in the body more than typical water does.
Jo is an author and publisher for 'Deionized Water' (http://www.deionized-water.co.uk), a site owned by The-Water-Company.com, an established UK based high quality water manufacturer for over 30 years, producing products such as deionized water and demineralized water to a an extensive variety of customers in UK, Europe and the rest of the world. If your company has a deionized water source requirement then have a look at The-Water-Company.com.