Iron removal

Water that contains too much iron causes allergies and can lead to blood diseases.

Iron in water leads to the stubborn stains on washed clothes, tiles and white plumbing.

Iron-containing water leads to bacterial growth and causes corrosion of parts of the household appliances: washing machines, steam cookers, mixers and electric kettles. High concentration of iron in water negatively affects the looks and well-being of a person using it: teeth and skin turn yellow, hair color fades, digestive disorders appear.

If there is too much iron, there will be a reddish sediment, the water will have a yellow tint and unpleasant metallic taste.

There is a number of ways to remove iron from water

Most often, water contains dissolved iron. It oxidizes and then forms a sediment which is easy to remove.

• Settling. It is the easiest way to remove rust and iron from water. Water is collected in a container, oxidation occurs, and iron forms a sediment at the bottom. This method of water purification is inconvenient and takes a long time.
• Aeration. You can use oxygen to remove iron from water, but only if its concentration is over 5 mg/l. The oxygen put into water reacts with dissolved iron, hydrogen sulfide and excessive carbon dioxide. As a result, iron is oxidized and forms flaky sediment, gases evaporate. After aeration, the sediment can be removed from water using a sorption or an ion exchange filter.
• Sediment filter. A popular means of iron elimination. The system includes a plastic case containing a filler that oxidizes iron and turns it into a sediment. The filter medium retains the formed sediment, and water gets pure.
• Ion exchange filter.Effectively removes iron, manganese and hardness salts from water. In a filter, it passes through a layer of ion exchange resin. As a result, iron, calcium and magnesium ions are replaced by sodium ions, water is purified and softened.

Undissolved, or colloidal iron in water is also quite common. The finest iron particles neither form a sediment nor can be removed by most pre-filters. A combination of ion exchange filters and pre-filters is used to remove iron in this form.