Current Affairs – 07/02/2020

Context- The Supreme Court on last month asked the RO Manufacturers Association to approach the government on the National Green Tribunal’s order prohibiting use of reverse osmosis (RO) purifiers where total dissolved solids (TDS) in water are below 500 mg per litre.

 

What is Reverse Osmosis (RO)?

• Part of the definition of reverse osmosis water is it is “purified water.”
• Reverse Osmosis or RO is a method of removing contaminants from the source water by applying pressure.
• The machine lets the water flow through a series of artificial, semi-permeable membranes to further remove impurities.
• It means all the sediment, heavy metals, hard minerals, nutrients, viruses, and bacteria (both the good and bad) are no longer present.

 

Drinking Water

• Drinking water should contain minimum levels of certain essential minerals (and other components such as carbonates).
• Drinking water with a low mineral content i.e. water with low TDS (Total Dissolved Salts) has a negative effect on our body’s homeostasis.

 

Effects

• Consuming RO demineralized water causes debilitating symptoms such as headache, tiredness, and weakness, muscular cramps, and impaired heart rate along with a negative impact on hormone secretion, kidney functions, and bone mineral density.