Do you know what TDS and ppm are in the water? We can determine the quality of water, the concentration of dissolved substances in water, and the possible impact on human health through the TDS values in drinking water. A higher TDS value means that the water contains more minerals and dissolved chemicals, which may affect the taste and appearance of the water, and even impact human health. So we need to learn how to reduce TDS in drinking water. This article will introduce you to what TDS and ppm are, the difference between them, and further, provide practical ways to reduce TDS in water. This can help you make good water choices to protect your health and that of your family.
Before understanding how to reduce TDS in water, we first introduce what does TDS stand for in water and what is ppm in water. You might get confused due to their similarities, and we will explain this.
Is TDS and PPM the Same Thing?
No, TDS and ppm are not the same thing. TDS is an abbreviation for Total Dissolved Solids, and ppm is an abbreviation for parts per million.
What is the Difference Between TDS and PPM?
The difference between TDS and ppm can be understood from two aspects: different measurement methods and different definitions:
| TDS | ppm | |
| 1. Different measurement methods: | TDS is measured by evaporating the water sample to dryness and weighing the residue. | Ppm is calculated by the weight of dissolved matter in parts per million of the total solution mass. |
| 2. Different definitions: |
What is TDS in Water?TDS is the total content of dissolved substances in water, including the total amount of all dissolved inorganic salts, organic substances, metal ions, etc. These substances can include minerals, salt, microorganisms, oxygen, nitrogen, nutrients, etc. TDS is usually expressed in milligrams per liter (mg/l), which is the same as parts per million (ppm). Some meters display TDS as parts per thousand (ppt), which equals 1,000 ppm. |
What is PPM in Water?Ppm in water refers to the concentration of a substance in water, usually the concentration of metal ions, organic matter, or other chemical substances dissolved in water. For example, if the concentration of calcium ions in water is 100 ppm, it means that 100 out of every million water molecules are calcium ions. |
| In general, TDS describes the total amount of all dissolved substances in water, while ppm describes the concentration of a specific substance in water. | ||
Our drinking water has an ideal TDS value, which can represent the health of drinking water to a certain extent. Next, let us understand what is the ideal TDS for drinking water together.
What is the Ideal TDS for Drinking Water?
The ideal TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) value for drinking water varies with many factors such as geographic location, climate, and personal preference. Generally speaking, a TDS level between 50-150 is considered excellent and most suitable.
How Much TDS in Water is Good for Health?
In fact, the TDS value itself does not determine the safety of drinking water. However, the decrease in the value of TDS means that the water quality has improved significantly to a certain extent.
This is because there are many indicators to test the safety of drinking water, and the total dissolved solids is only one of them. The indicators for measuring the safety of drinking water include: chromaticity, turbidity, visible matter, residual chlorine, chemical oxygen demand, total number of bacterial colonies, microbial counts, heavy metal concentration and organic matter content, etc.
Therefore, relying on the TDS water quality test alone cannot judge whether the water quality is good or bad, and it is not the most correct way to judge whether the water quality is safe or not only by TDS value.
What is Recommended TDS Level for Drinking Water?
The TDS value recommended by Membrane Solutions for drinking water through querying data is:
|
TDS Level for Drinking Water(measured in ppm) |
|
|
Between 50-150 |
Excellent |
|
150-250 |
Good |
|
250-300 |
Fair |
|
300-500 |
Poor |
|
Above 1200 |
Unacceptable |
You must ensure that the water you drink is safe and meets the necessary quality and safety standards. You can use a TDS tester to check the TDS level in your drinking water.
Health Effects of High TDS in Drinking Water?
What happens if the TDS value in drinking water is too high? Many people worry about health issues related to TDS values. High TDS levels in drinking water can have multiple health effects depending on the specific composition and concentration level of dissolved solids.
Is High TDS Water Harmful?
A high TDS level does not necessarily mean that your drinking water is bad for your health. Because high levels of TDS values may be due to high levels of potassium, calcium, or magnesium, these are not considered health hazards. However, certain elements, such as toxic ions such as lead, copper, aluminum, chromium, or nitrates, can cause serious illness and health problems if they are included in very high levels in TDS measurements. Conversely, low levels of TDS can lead to a loss of minerals from body tissues.
Side Effects of Drinking High TDS Water.
Some common side effects of drinking high TDS water include:
- Dehydration issues: High TDS in drinking water can cause the water to have an unpleasant taste or smell, causing people to drink less.
- Gastrointestinal problems: High TDS levels can cause digestive problems such as stomach pain and diarrhea. This is because dissolved solids can irritate the digestive system and alter the balance of gut flora.
- Kidney problems: High levels of certain dissolved solids, such as calcium and magnesium, can lead to the formation of kidney stones. This is because these minerals build up and form hard, crystalline deposits in the kidneys.
- Cardiovascular issues: Several studies have linked high TDS levels to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, although the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. One possible explanation is that high levels of certain minerals, such as sodium and potassium, can affect blood pressure and electrolyte balance.
- Causes nausea and vomiting, dizziness, and diarrhea. Other health problems such as heart disease and diabetes. In extreme cases, it can lead to kidney disease, liver disease, and even death.
- Other health effects: High TDS levels have also been linked to other health problems, including dental fluorosis (caused by high levels of fluoride) and skeletal fluorosis (caused by long-term exposure to high levels of fluoride).
High TDS water side effects include gastrointestinal problems, kidney problems, cardiovascular problems and more. Overall, the health effects of high TDS in drinking water may vary depending on the specific composition and concentration level of dissolved solids. It is important to regularly test drinking water quality and take appropriate measures to ensure that it meets safe drinking water standards. Then we will introduce some practical ways to reduce or lower TDS in drinking water.
How to Reduce TDS in Drinking Water?
As we have talked about, that a high TDS of harmful water pollutants can be harmful to our health, this is when you need to know the exact answer how to lower TDS in drinking water. You can choose some of these methods of reducing TDS in water at home, these 6 ways to reduce TDS in water are:
- Using Distillation to Reduce TDS in Water
Distillation is an effective way to reduce TDS in drinking water. During this process, water is boiled and then condensed into a liquid, leaving dissolved salts and minerals behind. However, this method is also expensive and can be time-consuming.
- Using Anion-Cation Resin Exchange Adsorption to Lower TDS in Water
The ion exchange desalination of water is to exchange various cations in water into H+ by using H-type cation exchange resin, and exchange various anions in water into OH- by using OH-type anion exchange resin. So as to achieve the purpose of removing soluble salts and reducing TDS. However, due to its complexity and cost, it may not be suitable for home use.
- Usinga Water Purifier to Reduce TDS in drinking water
By using a water purifier, you can reduce the TDS of drinking water at home. There are various brands and types of water filters on the market, but not all of them are designed to reduce TDS. Reverse osmosis (RO) water purifiers are effective at removing TDS from drinking water.
- Using Activated Carbon Adsorption to Reduce TDS in Water
The porous structure of activated carbon provides a large amount of surface area, making it very easy to achieve the purpose of absorbing and collecting impurities. A large number of molecules on the pore wall of activated carbon can generate a strong gravitational force, thereby achieving the purpose of attracting impurities in the medium into the pore. However, activated carbon is less efficient in reducing TDS.
- Using Deionization to Lower TDS in Water
Under the action of an external DC electric field, the permeability of the ion exchange membrane is used (that is, the positive membrane only allows cations to pass through, and the anion membrane only allows anions to pass through). Make the anions and cations in the water move in a directional manner, so as to achieve a physical and chemical process of separating the ions in the water from the water, thereby effectively reducing TDS.
- Using Flashing to Reduce TDS in Water
Flash evaporation is to use the boiling point of the substance to increase with the increase of pressure, and the lower the pressure, the lower the boiling point. By letting the high-pressure and high-temperature fluid undergo decompression, its boiling point is lowered and enters the flash tank. At this point, the temperature of the fluid is above the boiling point at that pressure. The fluid boils rapidly to vaporize in the flash tank. Flash evaporation can effectively reduce TDS, but the cost is higher.
Through the introduction of these six ways to reduce tds in drinking water, we can easily find that using a water purifier is the most convenient, simple, and effective way to reduce tds in drinking water. But there are many types of water purifiers on the market, which water purifier is best for high TDS?
Which Water Purifier is Best for High TDS?
Generally, a reverse osmosis (RO) water filter is considered the best way to reduce TDS in water.
The difference between several common membrane filtration technologies:
|
|
MF |
UF |
RO |
|
Precision: |
0.1-1μm |
0.01-0.2μm |
0.1nm |
|
Bacteria: |
\ |
√ |
√ |
|
Virus: |
\ |
\ |
√ |
|
Ion: |
\ |
\ |
√ |
|
TDS: |
\ |
\ |
√ |
|
Scale: |
\ |
\ |
√ |
|
Heavy Metal: |
|
|
√ |
The RO water purifiers developed and produced by Membrane Solutions, which is committed to developing high-tech membrane technology and bringing pure water and air solutions to all mankind, can effectively solve the problem of reducing TDS in drinking water for you.
Best RO Water Purifier Recommendation for Reducing TDS in Drinking Water
We introduce to you countertop reverse osmosis systems and alkaline water machines. They all use reverse osmosis membrane technology, which is the best way to reduce TDS in water at home.
The countertop reverse osmosis system is equipped with RO and UV water filters at the same time, which can fully reduce the amount of salt or dissolved ions in the water. It can meet your daily water needs, and you can put it anywhere, at home or in the office, etc.
And alkaline water machines, as a 6-stage reverse osmosis alkaline water filtration system with a mineral regulator, is a big upgrade over the normal 5-stage reverse osmosis system. An alkaline water filter system can make your water full of active minerals, you can use this alkaline water filter reverse osmosis system for home drinking water filtration, and drink mineral water at home.
