Author(s)

Hussein Janna^1*, Mukhtar D. Abbas², Mukhlis H. Mojid²

¹Civil Engineering Department, University of Al-Qadisiyah, Al Diwaniyah, Iraq.
²Al-Qadisiyah Environmental Authority, Al Diwaniyah, Iraq.

Water is important for life and its elements are very useful for human body to some extent. Reverse Osmosis (RO) is a very effective method in minimizing the concentrations of some elements in drinking water treatment. Therefore, the goal of this study is to measure the concentrations of some important parameters for human body and the role of Reverse Osmosis (RO) method in the local drinking water treatment stations in minimizing these constituents. This goal was achieved by comparing the effluent of five local drinking water treatment stations that depends on Reverse Osmosis as a primary treatment for the water produced from the Al-Diwaniyah water treatment plant. These parameters are PH, EC, TDS, Ca, Mg, and TH. Therefore, samples were collected and tested in Al-Qadisiyah Environmental Authority for these local drinking water treatment stations for seven weeks, in order to compare the effluent with the minimum concentrations required for human body according to the health studies and guide lines. The results show that all the drinking waters produced by these stations were below the WHO and Iraq standards. The concentrations of Calcium were in the range from 5.3 to 25 mg/l, while the concentrations of magnesium were in the range from 9.5 to 18.2 mg/l. Therefore, drinking water produced from RO stations should be remineralised to increase the concentrations of necessary constituents in order to minimize the risk of the potential influence of low level concentrations containing calcium carbonate or by adding calcium compounds to the water.

Reverse Osmosis, Human Health, Water Treatment, Calcium and Magnesium, Al-Diwaniyah

Janna, H. , Abbas, M. and Mojid, M. (2016) Demineralized Drinking Water in Local Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Stations and the Potential Effect on Human Health. Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection, 4, 104-110. doi: 10.4236/gep.2016.42012.