Do Water Filters Remove Fluoride?

Do Water Filters Remove Fluoride?

Fluoride is a harmful e. In some cases you may find the chemical compounds in plants. It gets into plants through absorption using the roots. Most of the time, you will hear people taking about fluoride in water. This is because many municipalities add controlled amount of fluoride in water through a process known as water fluoridation. They do this to prevent tooth decay. The reason for this is because tooth decay is a major issue many developed countries especially among children. Even though it prevents tooth decay, it also comes at a price. The price in this case is devastating effects caused by fluoridation. To help you understand better, let us look at this chemical we call fluoride and everything around it.

Fluoride

For you to understand this thing called fluoride, you need some background information on ions. An ion is a molecule or atom that has an electrical charge. Ions exist in two forms. One of these forms in positively charge s and the other one is negatively charged. The positively charged ion is called a cation. A negatively charged ion, on the other hand, one is an anion. In this particular case, a fluorides negatively charged ion, anion. It needs to combine with a cation to from a compound. It is the fluoride compounds that we find on water.

So where does this anion come from. The source of the fluoride ion is an element knows as fluorine. Fluorine is a light toxic chemical element found in various parts of the globe. In its natural state, fluorine is usually pale yellow in color. It is a highly reactive metal and this allows it to combine with almost all other elements. The only elements that do not combine with fluorine are neon and helium.

When a fluorine forms a fluoride compound in water it is difficult to detect it. This is because fluoride in water is colorless and odorless. Taste could be the best way to check for the presence of fluoride. This is because they have a distinctive bitter taste. The difficulty in detecting it is what makes fluoride an even more dangerous substance. This is because many people may be taking it in without even knowing. That is why effects should be made to prevent its entry into water. In the unfortunate event it does, you should do everything possible to remove it.

Getting Rid of Fluoride in Water

There are many ways of removing fluoride in water. One of the ways doing so is through distillation. Investing in a water distiller is probably one of the best decisions you can make to get rid of fluoride in water. Distillation is a process of separation that used selective boiling and condensation to separate mixtures. One thing you need to know about this process is that the items being separated have to have different boiling points.

Using a water distiller, water that contains a fluoride is placed in the boiling chamber. The mixture is heated up continuously. Once the boiling point of water is reached (100 degrees) it evaporates. As it evaporates, the steam is directed to the machine’s cooling system. There the vapor is condensed. Condensed vapor is what forms the water which is collected through another vessel. The water collected at this end contains no fluorides. This is because all the fluorine (fluoride) was left in the boiling chamber. Here all you have is fluoride-water.

Distillation is not only useful in the removal of fluorides from water. It is common to have microorganisms like bacteria and viruses in your tap water. Bacteria and viruses are the causative agents to many diseases we have today. With distillation, you will not have to worry about them as it is known to kill al microorganisms. Distillation also kills pesticides and herbicides that may be present in your water.

Effects of Consuming Water That has Fluoride

There has to be a significant reasons why people are against the use of fluoride in water. Well, here is one reason. Fluoride causes a lot of devastating effects too the human body once taken through water. Here are some of the effects of consume water that contains fluorides/fluorine compounds.

1. Thyroid Problems.

Consuming water rich in fluorides can cause a lot of thyroid issues. Thyroid is the part in front of your neck that is shaped like a butterfly. When you consume contaminated waiter the thyroid gland is damaged immensely. Thereafter, you get as condition known as hyperparathyroidism. Hyperparathyroidgms is medical condition that is characterized by excessive production of thyroid hormones. What happens after this is devastating? The excess hormones deplete the calcium in your body and direct them to the blood. When you bones lack calcium, you will have weak bones. In this case, you may be highly susceptible to fractures.

2. Dental Fluorosis.

Dental Fluorosis is a medical condition characterized by hypomineralizaton of the tooth enamel. This condition common among children as it occurs during the formation of the enamel. One of the visible signs of dental fluorosis is the discoloration of the teeth.  One may also feel significant damage to the teeth. The condition is mainly caused by intake of excessive amounts of fluoride into the body. You can prevent this by using fluoride-free water to breast feed. In cases where your child take s formula milk, make sure that the water does not contain fluorides.

3. Cardiovascular Problems.

Intake of excess amounts of fluoride coca also cause a wide range of cardiovascular issues. One of these issue is high blood pressure. This is where the force of the blood against the walls of the artery are too high. High blood pressure is not a condition to play with a sit casus severe effects on the human body. You may also get arteriosclerosis which is a disease that cause the artery walls to thicken. Fluoride can make people get such a disease when it is consumed in high levels.

Conclusion 

Fluoride is a toxic substance that shod be kept away from water by any means necessary. Thus will protect a lot of people from its harsh effects. In the unfortunate event that someone consumes water with fluorides he or she may get thyroid problems. When thyroid problems became sever, they made use up calcium and make one’s bones brittle. Cardio vascular isues may also arise from consumption of water with fluorides. It is because o this that treating water using is banned in so many countries. In case, you are faced with the task of removing fluoride from water, go for the distillation process. By issuing the difference in boiling points, boiling and condensation, you can easily get fluoride-free water.