Glossary
Learn about the different types of contaminants that might put your family at risk.
- operating pressure
- The range of pressure, usually expressed in pounds per square inch, over which a water conditioning device or water system is designed to function.
- organic iron
- (See iron bacteria.)
- organic matter
- Substances of or derived from plant or animal matter, as opposed to inorganic matter derived from rocks and minerals. Organic matter is characterized by its carbon-hydrogen structure.
- osmosis
- A process of diffusion of a solvent such as water through a semi permeable membrane which will transmit the solvent but impede most dissolved substances. The normal flow of solvent is from the diluted solution to the concentrated solution. (See reverse osmosis.)
- oxidant
- A chemical substance capable of promoting oxidation, for example O2, O3, Cl2.
- oxidation
- A chemical process in which electrons are removed from an atom, ion, or compound. The addition of oxygen is a specific form of oxidation. Combustion is an extremely rapid form of oxidation, while the rusting of iron is a slow form.
- ozone
- An unstable form of oxygen (O3), which can be generated by an electrical discharge through air or regular oxygen. It is a strong oxidizing agent and has been used in water conditioning as a disinfectant.