Background. The study examines the effectiveness of various domestic water purification systems in removing ions from tap water, focusing on the implications for human health. Water is essential for life and contains numerous ions, including those critical for health like calcium and magnesium. With rising public awareness of water quality, the study seeks to evaluate the efficiency of different purification methods – carbon filters, reverse osmosis, ion exchange filters and demineralization – on ion content, which can affect the suitability of water for consumption.
Results and conclusions. In this research study, the performance of four domestic water purification systems was compared. Initially, the content of 14 selected ions in raw tap water was analyzed using an ICP-OES inductively coupled argon plasma optical emission spectrometer. This was followed by trials using three types of carbon filters, a reverse osmosis (RO) system, ion exchange filters and a demineralization system. The study evaluated the specific operation of these systems, their technical characteristics and their efficiency in removing ions from water. Special attention was given to any increases in the concentration of certain ions, such as sodium (Na) in the ion exchange filter. The results indicate that all the systems significantly deplete the water of ionic components, particularly in the case of demineralization, RO, and ion exchange filters. Carbon filters, while less severe, also remove valuable ions like calcium and magnesium, with loss coefficients reaching up to 500 %. Thus, although these systems are effective in removing harmful substances, they also strip the water of essential macro-components, potentially impacting its suitability for regular consumption.