Water Filters for PFAS Chemicals
Best Water Filters
I have linked below an Amazon link to purchase each of the four recommended filters. However, they can also be purchased from their manufacturers or other retailers.
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You’ve probably heard of the discovery of toxic PFAS chemicals in water supplies across the U.S. and around the world. The so-called “Forever Chemicals” are, sadly, everywhere. In fact, studies show that almost everyone in the U.S. has PFAS in their blood. (PFAS stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.) Their health impacts include endocrine system disruption, immune system damage, cancer, reproductive system damage, liver and thyroid problems, weight gain and more. The list is endless. While efforts have slowly started to clean up the pollution, where possible, and prevent PFAS from continuing to contaminate water, soil, food and every corner of society, they are, as their name implies, nearly indestructible and persist in the environment, and in us, for a long long time, even forever.
It all began in the mid-1940s when DuPont started making non-stick cookware, using PFAS to create Teflon. From there, they were added to myriad household products, clothes, furniture, carpets, cleaning products, make-up, dental floss, nail polish, shampoo, fast food wrappers and food packaging. They made clothes wrinkle-free and carpets stain-resistant. Make-up was smoother and easier to apply. French fries didn’t stick to the wrapper and rain coats were water-repellent. One of the biggest manufactures was 3M. Fast-forward many decades and it was only recently that some manufacturers began to phase them out. Some are still using them. PFAS chemicals are still ubiquitous.
Drinking contaminated water is one of the biggest ways PFAS chemicals enter our bodies. By some estimates, more than 200 million people just in the U.S. may be drinking PFAS-contaminated water. It’s been found at test sites in all 50 states, including in public and private water supplies, with heavy concentrations on the east coast, California and the Ohio-WV-Indiana-Illinois region. If PFAS have been found in your drinking water supply, limiting your exposure by filtering your tap water is a must. It’s also a good idea to bring portable, even personal-size, filters with you when traveling. (Contact your local health department to find out if your water supply has been contaminated with PFAS.)
The Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit watchdog group that studies the toxicity of thousands of chemicals and products, just tested the effectiveness of a number of free-standing water filtration systems at removing PFAS chemicals. Their top choice was the Travel Berkey Water Filter. Though it’s suitable to bring along on travels, it’s also appropriate for your kitchen counter. It comes in several sizes so there is one to fit the needs of any household or business. A big bonus is that much of the Berkey is made of metal, not plastic. Its durable construction means it will last a long time.
According to the EWG, the Berkey filters remove 100 percent of PFAS from water. And Berkey reports it also removes a long list of other toxins including heavy metals such as lead, aluminum, mercury, chromium, nickel and cobalt, and inorganic minerals, Trihalomethanes, pharmaceutical contaminants, petroleum chemicals and more. No electricity or plumbing is required for this or the other systems listed below.
Two other brands also removed 100 percent of PFAS chemicals, according to the EWG: Zero Water and Clearly Filtered. The Epic Water Filter brand, also highly recommended by the EWG, removed 98 percent. They, too, will remove other toxic chemicals, in addition to PFAS. While the Berkey is expensive upfront ($344 for the Travel Berkey size) it’s actually the least expensive of the top systems EWG recommends because its filters last an estimate eight years (for average use) while the others have filters that need to be replaced several times a year. To illustrate: The one-year cost of the Travel Berkey is it’s price tag: $344. The one year cost of the other three, due to needed filters, are:
-Zero Water: $646.06
-Clearly Filtered: $436.50
-Epic Water Filter: $247.87
I have linked below an Amazon link to purchase each of the four recommended filters. However, they can also be purchased from their manufacturers or other retailers.
In addition, Kishu sticks are great water filters and the nice thing is there is no plastic housing -- just drop them into a pitcher of water and wait a few hours. I asked Kishu if the sticks filtered out PFAS chemicals. I was told their scientists believed they did but due to the difficulty of testing for all PFAS chemicals they could not be 100 percent certain.
Filters EWG tested but that did not meet their high standards were:
-PUR PLUS, 7 Cup Pitcher: Removed 79 percent of PFAS
-Brita Filter Pitcher, 6-Cup: Removed 66 percent of PFAS
-Aquagear Filter Pitcher: Removed 65 percent of PFAS
-Amazon Basics Water Pitcher: Removed 54 percent of PFAS
-Brita Elite Filter: Removed 22 percent of PFAS
-Seychelle Gen 2 Dual pH20 Pure Water Pitcher: Removed 48 percent of PFAS