RAW- Hydrogen Balls

Filtration media Wellness-marketed

Hydrogen Balls are fired mineral ceramic balls containing a reactive metal alloy that slowly reacts with water to form dissolved hydrogen gas.

• Made of: Natural minerals and a 'negative-potential' alloy ceramic (supplier); the manufacturer's listings for this ball type name maifan stone and magnesium

• Form: Ceramic balls

• Main job: Marketed for hydrogen-rich water; in practice it mainly raises pH

• Used in: Waslix custom layered cartridges; also sold loose by weight

What it does

Magnesium reacts with water to form magnesium hydroxide and hydrogen gas. The magnesium hydroxide raises the pH and adds magnesium, and together with the hydrogen it lowers the ORP reading. The reaction is slow, so the effect is strongest in water that has stood in the filter; water flowing through picks up less, especially hydrogen.

• Raises pH: in the manufacturer's soak tests (25 g in 500 mL of water), pH rose from 6.8 to 10.3–10.5 within 1 hour and about 10.6 after 24 hours

• Adds dissolved hydrogen, slowly: in the same tests there was almost none after 5 minutes, about 200–270 ppb after 1 hour and 310–520 ppb after 24 hours

• Lowers ORP: in the manufacturer's flow test (300 g after a reverse-osmosis system), ORP fell from +220 mV to about −250 mV at first and faded to about −50 mV by 2,000 L

• Raises dissolved solids: TDS rose from 0 to 291–511 mg/L after 24 hours of soaking; the US EPA's recommended (non-enforceable) limit is 500 mg/L

Evidence: limited These figures come from the manufacturer's own tests, not independent tests of this material. Independent evidence for health benefits of hydrogen-rich water is limited: a 2024 systematic review found the human studies mostly small and short-term, and called for larger trials.

Where it goes in your filter

It belongs at the very end of the cartridge, because the high pH and extra magnesium it produces would make fluoride, arsenic and ion-exchange layers work less well if they came after it.

• Layer position: The last layer before the filtration pad, after activated alumina, iron-based media, resins, carbon and KDF

• Pairs well with: Reverse-osmosis or soft water, where makers test it; use it instead of Calcite or alkaline balls, not alongside them

• Keep in mind: In the manufacturer's soak tests, standing water reached about pH 10, above the 6.5–8.5 range the US EPA recommends, so run the tap briefly after the filter has been idle; on hard water the high pH can leave scale in the layer

Specifications

Handling & care

• Before first use: Rinse, then send the first flushes to drain; fresh media gives its highest pH

• Storage: Keep sealed and bone dry; damp media keeps making hydrogen gas, so never store it wet in a closed container

• Replacement: The supplier gives no service life; in the manufacturer's flow test (300 g on reverse-osmosis water) the ORP drop had largely faded by about 2,000 L, so replace it with the cartridge or when a pH or ORP meter shows no change

Common questions

How well any medium works depends on your water, the flow rate, contact time and the other layers in the cartridge. This page describes the loose medium, not a certified filter system.

Hydrogen Balls are mineral ceramic balls containing a reactive alloy, which the manufacturer's listings for this ball type name as magnesium. In water the alloy reacts slowly: it raises pH, adds magnesium, lowers the oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) and releases a little dissolved hydrogen gas, most strongly in water that has stood in the filter. They are marketed for hydrogen-rich water; independent evidence for health benefits is limited, and they remove no contaminants.