Removing excessive sodium from water is achievable through several methods, primarily focusing on reverse osmosis (RO). This process effectively reduces sodium content by a significant margin, often between 94% and 98%. Beyond RO, other techniques exist, but are less efficient or practical for home use.
Effective Methods for Sodium Removal
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Reverse Osmosis (RO): RO is widely considered the most effective method for removing sodium from water, including softened water with high sodium concentrations due to water softener use. It works by forcing water through a semi-permeable membrane, leaving behind salts and other impurities. Multiple sources [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11] highlight RO's efficacy in significantly lowering sodium levels.
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Distillation: This method involves boiling water and then condensing the steam, leaving behind salts and minerals, including sodium. While effective, it's generally less efficient and more energy-intensive than RO 2.
Less Common or Less Effective Methods
While RO and distillation are the most prominent methods, other techniques exist but often present drawbacks in terms of efficiency, cost, or practicality for home use.
Understanding the Problem: High Sodium in Softened Water
Water softeners utilize ion exchange to remove minerals like calcium and magnesium, which cause hardness. However, this process often replaces these minerals with sodium, leading to increased sodium levels in the water [4, 7]. This can be problematic for individuals on low-sodium diets, those with health concerns related to sodium intake, and even for certain household appliances and plants [8, 12]. The resulting high salinity isn't suitable for all plants or humidifiers, as sodium buildup can occur over time 13.
Choosing the Right Method
For home use, reverse osmosis is the most practical and effective method for reducing sodium levels in water. If cost or energy efficiency are primary concerns, the benefits of reduced sodium content should be weighed against the cost of the RO system and its energy consumption.
[11]: Numerous other references support the effectiveness of Reverse Osmosis for sodium removal
