IONIZER

A water ionizer (also known as an alkaline ionizer) is a home appliance which claims to raise the pH of drinking water by using electrolysis to separate the incoming water stream into acidic and alkaline components.[1][2][3] The treated water is called alkaline water. Proponents claim that consumption of alkaline water results in a variety of health benefits, making it similar to the alternative health practice of alkaline diets. Such claims violate basic principles of chemistry and physiology. There is no medical evidence for any health benefits of alkaline water. Extensive scientific evidence has completely debunked these claims.[4][5]

The machines originally became popular in Japan and other East Asian countries before becoming available in the U.S. and Europe.

Health claims

Water ionizers are often marketed on the basis of health claims which are normally focused on their putative ability to make water more alkaline. A wide variety of benefits have been claimed, including the ability to slow aging,[6] prevent disease, give the body more energy, and offset alleged effects of acidic foods.[3][7]

There is no empirical evidence to support these claims, nor the claims that drinking ionized water will have a noticeable effect on the body.[8] Drinking ionized water or alkaline water does not alter the body’s pH due to acid-base homeostasis.[6] Additionally, marketers have inaccurately claimed that the process of electrolysis changes the structure of water from large non-bioavailable water clusters to small bioavailable water clusters, called “micro clusters”.[9]

Some proponents of alkaline water and the alkaline diet as a whole claim a link between alkaline intake and cancer prevention;[5] no scientific evidence exists for such a connection,[5][10][11] and as such, several cancer societies have denounced this claim.[12][13][14][15]

Operation

Despite being described as ‘water ionizers’, the machines are designed to work as water electrolyzers.[3] This is an electrochemical process in which water is split to form hydrogen and oxygen by an electric current.[1][16] In some machines, the process produces calcium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid through the use of an ion-exchange membrane.[17]

The effectiveness of the process is debatable because electrolysis requires significant amounts of time and power; hence, the amount of hydroxide that could be generated in a fast-moving stream of water such as a running tap would be minimal at best.[18][unreliable source] Additionally, the process of reversing the reaction requires much less energy, so if the area between the alkaline and acidic water is at least semi-permeable, the water will undergo another reaction that just leaves neutral water.[1]

How an ionizer works

A water ionizer is a small kitchen appliance that separates tap water into two separate streams – one alkaline and one acidic – through a process called electrolysis. An ionizer is connected to a home’s water supply either through a diverter valve installed on the kitchen faucet or directly through a T-adapter connected to the cold water line under the sink.

STEP 1: FILTRATION

Water enters the ionizer through an inlet port at the bottom of the unit and is first filtered to remove common pollutants, particulate matter, chlorine, odour and organic matter present in tap water. 

STEP 2: ELECTROLYSIS

The water then flows through an electrolysis chamber which contains positively and negatively charged platinum-covered titanium electrodes. These electrodes ionise the soluble minerals in the water: positively charged ions gather at the negative electrode to create alkaline water, also referred to as “reduced water” while negatively charged ions gather at the positive electrode to make acid water, also known as “oxidized water”. 

  • ALKALINE WATER, which comes out of the top spout on the ionizer, is the fraction that we drink and cook with.  It contains a high concentration of positively charged minerals that are beneficial for our health, such as calcium, potassium, and magnesium.

  • ACIDIC WATER, which is dispensed through the bottom hose or spout, is used externally for cleaning and disinfecting the skin and household surfaces.  It is discharged into the sink when it is not needed or saved for later use.

How does ionization affect the molecular structure of water?

Water that enters the electrolytic cell is subjected to a small electric current which passes between the plates, causing the water molecules [H2O] to split into two ions: a negatively charged hydroxyl ion [OH-] and a positively charged hydrogen ion [H+].

At the exit of the electrolytic cell, the water is separated into two streams:

  • The alkaline water stream contains a larger proportion of hydroxyl ions [OH-] which act as a powerful antioxidant, or reducing agent, because these ions have spare electrons that can easily be donated to our cells.  Antioxidants neutralizes the oxidative damage caused by electron scavenging free radicals in our body.

  • The acidic water stream contains a larger proportion of hydrogen ions [H+] which, contrary to hydroxyl ions, act as a powerful oxidant or disinfectant capable of killing bacteria and other pathogens on contact (when pH is below 2.7).  See uses of acidic water.

Understanding pH and ORP

What is pH?

pH is a measurement of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution.  It provides a value on a scale from 0 to 14 where 7 is neutral, less than 7 is acidic, and greater than 7 is alkaline (or basic).   The closer you move towards 0, the more a solution is acidic, and the closer you move to 14, the more a solution is alkaline.

pH is often depicted on a graphical colour scale as shown below:

When talking about water, its pH value is related directly to the ratio of positively charged hydrogen ions [H+] and negatively charged hydroxyl ions [OH-]. 

  • When water has an equal concentration of H+ ions and OH- ions, it is said to be neutral (pH=7)
  • When water has a greater concentration of H+ ions, it is said to be acidic (pH<7)
  • When a solution has a greater concentration of OH-, it is said to be alkaline (pH>7)

Like the Richter scale that measures the intensity of earthquakes, the pH scale is a logarithmic scale, which means that when the pH increases or decreases by one unit, you change the concentration of H+ ions tenfold.  So for example, a solution with a pH of 8.0 is ten times more alkaline than a solution with a pH of 7.0. A solution with a pH of 9.0 is 100 times more alkaline than a solution with a pH of 7.0.

What is ORP?

In the world that surrounds us, we do not see it, but there is a continuous exchange of electrons that takes place between substances in the air, in the earth, in water, and in our bodies.  This phenomenon is known as ion exchange.

In an effort to reach a state of stability, substances that are lacking electrons are desperately seeking out electrons wherever they can: these substances are referred to as oxidizing agents.  On the contrary, substances which have a surplus of electrons are capable of donating their extra electrons: these substances are referred to as reducing agents, or anti-oxidizing agents.

Oxidation-reduction potential, or ORP, is a measurement that indicates the degree to which a substance is capable of oxidizing or reducing another substance.   ORP is measured in millivolts (mV) using an ORP meter. 

  • A positive ORP reading indicates that a substance is an oxidizing agent.  The higher the reading, the more oxidizing it is.  As such, a substance with an ORP reading of +400 mV is 4 times more oxidizing than a substance with an ORP reading of +100 mV. 
  • A negative ORP reading indicates that a substance is a reducing agent.  The lower the reading, the more anti-oxidizing it is.  As such, a substance with an ORP reading of -400 mV is 4 times more anti-oxidizing than a substance with an ORP reading of -100 mV. 

Most types of water, including tap water and bottled water, are oxidizing agents as their ORP value is positive. 

Alkaline ionized water is an anti-oxidizing agent, as it has a negative ORP value and it is able to donate extra electrons to neutralize the harmful effects of free radicals on the body.  Most other types of water are oxidizing agents as their ORP is positive.

The following video explains ORP and shows the ORP level of different kinds of water.

The Chemistry of Water

This section provides some basic concepts about the chemistry of water – explained in very simple terms – and is intended for curious minds who wish to better understand the science behind water ionization at the molecular level.

The structure of atoms and molecules

An atom consists of positively charged protons, electrically neutral neutrons and negatively charged electrons.  At the centre of the atom, neutrons and protons stay together to form the atom’s core or nucleus.  Electrons revolve around the atom’s core in three-dimensional orbits or shells.

Each of these molecular orbits needs a certain number of electrons to be stable. The inner orbit closest to the core must contain 2 electrons to be stable.  The second orbit must contain 8 electrons to be stable.  Each subsequent orbit, for atoms that contain more than 10 protons and electrons, also requires a pre-defined number of electrons to be stable.  But apart from inert gases such as helium, neon and argon, the outermost orbit of most atoms is missing one or more electrons to be stable. 

In order to reach a state of stability, atoms bond together to form molecules by sharing their valence electrons, or electrons that make up the outermost shell.   This sharing can be achieved through covalent bonding as described below.

Covalent bonding of a water molecule

Covalent bonding is a form of chemical bonding between two non-metallic atoms, such as hydrogen and oxygen, which is characterized by the sharing of pairs of electrons between two or more atoms.  For stabilization, they share their valence electrons with other atoms.  

A water molecule is an example of a molecule created through covalent bonding.  Water is made up of one oxygen atom and 2 hydrogen atoms, hence the chemical symbol H2O.

A hydrogen atom is made up of 1 proton at its core and 1 electron that revolves around the core in a three-dimensional orbit.   An oxygen atom is made up of 8 protons and 8 neutrons at its core and 8 electrons that revolve around the core in 2 separate three-dimensional orbits.  The inner orbit contains 2 electrons whereas the outer orbit contains 6 electrons.

However, both the hydrogen atom and the oxygen atom are not stable when they are alone.  In order to be stable, the hydrogen atom must contain 2 electrons in its shell, and the oxygen atom must contain 8 electrons in its outer shell.  To reach this state of stability, both hydrogen and oxygen atoms create covalent bonds with each other, as illustrated in the diagram on the right.

View this video animation that explains covalent bonding

Polarity of water molecules

In a water molecule, two hydrogen atoms are covalently bonded to the oxygen atom. But because the oxygen atom is larger than the hydrogen atom, its attraction for the hydrogen’s electrons is correspondingly greater so the electrons are drawn closer in to the orbit of the larger oxygen atom and away from the hydrogen orbits. This means that although the water molecule as a whole is stable, the greater mass of the oxygen nucleus tends to draw in all the electrons in the molecule including the shared hydrogen electrons giving the oxygen portion of the molecule a slight electronegative charge.

The orbits of the hydrogen atoms, because their electrons are closer to the oxygen, take on a small electropositive charge. This means water molecules have a tendency to form weak bonds with other water molecules because the oxygen end of the molecule is negative and the hydrogen ends are positive.

A hydrogen atom, while remaining covalently bonded to the oxygen of its own molecule, can form a weak bond with the oxygen of another molecule. Similarly, the oxygen end of a molecule can form a weak attachment with the hydrogen ends of other molecules. Because water molecules have this polarity, water is a continuous chemical entity.

These weak bonds play a crucial role in stabilizing the shape of many of the large molecules found in living matter. Because these bonds are weak, they are readily broken and re-formed during normal physiological reactions. The disassembly and re-arrangement of such weak bonds is in essence the chemistry of life.

Water, the universal solvent

Water is a universal solvent due to the marked polarity of water molecules and their tendency to form hydrogen bonds with other molecules.  To illustrate water’s ability to break down other substances, consider the simple example of putting a small amount of table salt in a glass of water.

Table salt, also known by its chemical name sodium chloride [NaCl], is an example of an ionic compound, which means that one of the atoms involved stole a valence electron from the other.   In this case, the chlorine atom [Cl], stole an electron from the sodium atom [Na], resulting in the creation of an electronegative chloride ion [Cl-] and an electropositive sodium ion [Na+].  The two ions are bonded together because of the attraction of opposite charges. 

View this video animation to better understand ionic bonds

After salt is placed in water, the ionic bond between the sodium and chloride ions is broken due to the competitive action of the water molecules that outnumber the salt molecules.  The electronegative oxygen pole of the water molecule is attracted to the positively charged sodium ions [Na+], and the electropositive hydrogen pole of the water molecule is attracted to the negatively charged chloride ions [Cl-]. 

View this video animation of salt being dissolved in water

As with the example of table salt, water has the ability to dissolve many unwanted substances that have accumulated in our bodies over time, such as solid waste and toxins, and to flush them away through the body’s natural elimination channels such as lungs, colon, kidneys, liver, and skin.

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