However, if you are prone to allergies, diabetes, or have other health conditions, then you should look into installing these mechanisms to get silica-free water.Wiley is a global provider of content and content-enabled workflow solutions in areas of scientific, technical, medical, and scholarly research professional development and education. The good thing is that it does not have too many negative consequences for a healthy individual.
Silica is one of the most common elements found on Earth. All these problems make the silica removal from your drinking water a tough process. Furthermore, there are a lot of residuals produced, which will be a hassle to discard. The problem with the lime softening method is that it can be quite costly. The maintenance costs are, thus, reasonably high for this process.
Similarly, during ion-exchange, the resin exchangers need to be continuously recharged or replaced entirely. Water needs to be pre-filtered to remove the bigger impurities that may damage the membranes. The main problem is that no one system is capable of removing silica completely. This makes the membrane ineffective against not just silica but also other impurities. These are the properties that allow it to cut holes into the semi-permeable membrane. It should be noted that silica is a primary ingredient in glass. Problems in Removing Silica from WaterĪs we mentioned before, silica is tough to remove. Once all the silica is absorbed, the water can be put through a filter to obtain silica-free water. This reaction works on hardness causing minerals such as calcium and magnesium, creating flakes of these minerals. This method is based on the reaction of calcium hydroxide (lime) with the silica colloids. One of the most common methods of removing silica from drinking water is lime softening. Reverse osmosis is also meant to target dissolved silicates. Chemical precipitation method can be used for dissolved and colloid silicates. For instance, granular silicates can be removed via sedimentation and filtration. The different forms of silica will need to be targeted separately. Adding a secondary system will, therefore, take care of the rest. A reverse osmosis system is capable of removing up to 90% of the silica. Two: Since it is a mineral impurity, a softening system is likely to be more effective at removing it once it has been filtered. It combines easily with other impurities, so it becomes difficult to target. One: silica, as an impurity, has many forms. However, you are likely to receive better results if you use it in conjunction with a water softener. The most effective filtration technique for silica is reverse osmosis. This further leads to foul smells and stains that are difficult to remove. It can also cause a scale-build up in your plumbing system. Some side-effects of consuming high amounts of silica can be allergic reactions, upset stomach, and aggravated hypoglycemia. Silica generally does not have many side effects for healthy individuals. The safety limit is reported to be about 700 to 1750 mg per day. However, these effects depend on the dosage.
Collagen keeps our skin and hair elastic and also helps in repairing it quickly. Similarly, it is a crucial element in aiding the formation of collagen. According to a study conducted by the International Journal of Endocrinology, silica is found to be essential for increasing bone strength and mineral density. Silica is one of the essential minerals for our bodies. These materials make silica challenging to filter. Such colloidal silica forms a gelatinous material that is made from non-diffusible particles. Generally, silica combines with other mineral contaminants found in water, such as calcium or magnesium.
It is also commonly transferred via food. Silica is a contaminant that is usually found in groundwater or well water. The chemical composition of silica is SiO2. In fact, after oxygen, silicon is the second most abundant element present on our planet. It is also a significant component of sand. Silica is most commonly found on Earth in the form of quartz. What Are Some of the Effects of Silica?.