The system was first tested with only the RO membrane component in place
The EcoWater Systems ERO-R450E POU drinking water treatment system was tested for removal of aldicarb, benzene, cadmium, carbofuran, cesium, chloroform, dichlorvos, dicrotophos, fenamiphos, mercury, mevinphos, oxamyl, strontium, and strychnine. The ERO-R450E employs a reverse osmosis (RO) membrane and activated carbon filters to treat drinking water. Treated water is stored in a 3.1- gallon capacity storage tank. The system was first tested with only the RO membrane component in place. The target challenge concentration for each chemical for the RO membrane tests was 1 mg/L. Following the RO membrane challenges, the post-membrane carbon filter component was challenged alone with each organic chemical the RO membrane did not remove to below 30 μg/L. The carbon filter was also challenged with cesium and mercury because the membranes did not remove these two substances as well as total dissolved solids (TDS) in general. The target challenge concentration for the carbon filter tests was the maximum effluent level measured during the RO membrane tests.
A total of 20 RO membrane components were tested, divided into ten pairs. Each pair of membranes was tested with only one of the ten organic chemicals because of concern that a chemical could compromise the integrity of the membrane or membrane seals. One pair of RO membrane components was also challenged with the inorganic chemicals. Each RO membrane chemical challenge was conducted over a one-day period. Influent and effluent samples were collected during the operation period, and also the next morning. The post-membrane carbon filter challenges were conducted over a 15-hour duration. Two filters were tested for each chemical challenge, and each pair was only used for one challenge. Influent and effluent samples were collected at the beginning, middle, and end of the challenge period.
The ERO-R450E as a whole, considering both the RO membrane challenge and post-membrane carbon filter challenge results combined, reduced all of the challenge chemicals but cesium by 94% or more.