A Brita filter is a popular household appliance that promises to keep water “pure”. However, it does very little to protect you from contaminants. Instead, the filters simply preserve the “pure” taste. Investing in a Brita filter isn’t worth it – do some research to see if your water is truly pure. Read on to learn more. What Does a Brita Filter Not Filter?
Fluoride
The water you use in your home may be contaminated with fluoride. Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral and can be dangerous if too much is consumed. While it is important to check your tap water regularly, it can cause health problems if it is contaminated with fluoride. Fluoride is also metabolized from several drugs. Cipro, Niflumic acid, Flecainide, and Voriconazole are just a few examples.
Despite the hype surrounding fluoride and Brita filters, these products are not designed to remove fluoride from drinking water. In fact, the water that passes through a Brita filter contains very low amounts of fluoride. The water from these filters is still rich in other contaminants, including bacteria and viruses, and may not be as healthy as it might be elsewhere. However, fluoride is not a health risk, and Brita claims that their products do not remove fluoride.
Pesticides
If you are wondering whether your Brita water filter is actually filtering out pesticides, then you are not alone. In fact, this issue has been brought to light by a lawsuit filed by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation. In this suit, the government charged Brita Products Co. with failing to pay state fees on the sale of its water filters. The amount of money they owe is roughly one-and-a-half cents per dollar of pesticide sales. Pesticides are chemicals used to prevent and control the growth of unwanted plants.
The Brita water filters are designed to remove waterborne contaminants like sediment, protozoa, and bacteria. They also have carbon to filter chlorine and large particles. However, the faucet filter, which is one of the few Brita water filters capable of removing lead and pesticides, is not effective at reducing benzene, asbestos, or copper. They also won’t reduce levels of cadmium, mercury, or copper.
Pharmaceuticals
The company sells the idea of purity and safety. Its marketing takes on the idea of a municipal water system that is safe. In the same way, natural and organic food products draw on an inchoate sense of danger and the desire to avoid risks. Safety is good business. But does Brita filter out pharmaceuticals? We’ll need to wait and see. Let’s look at the pros and cons of Brita.
The pharmaceuticals are present in water at minuscule levels due to their widespread use. But current observations suggest that exposure to such low levels is unlikely to have ill effects. Typically, the concentrations detected are many orders of magnitude lower than the minimum therapeutic dose. In addition, pharmaceuticals are released into water sources from poorly controlled production and manufacturing facilities, which are usually linked with generic medicines. However, high-quality carbon block filters can remove 95% of pharmaceuticals from water.
Area-specific contaminants
Brita filters do not remove area-specific contaminants such as arsenic. EPA standards call for drinking water to contain no more than 10 parts per billion (PPB) of arsenic. This is equivalent to about two drops of arsenic in an Olympic-sized swimming pool. In addition to ppb, Brita filters do not filter out viruses, bacteria, or other organisms found in a household’s well water.
PFAS (per and polyfluoroalkyl substances) and VOCs (volatile organic compounds) are widely present in municipal water supplies. While they may be considered carcinogenic, they are commonly used in consumer products. For instance, trichloroethane is a common VOC in tap water. These chemicals are considered a significant source of carcinogens in the environment. However, Brita filters do not remove all VOCs, and some consumers may need to avoid VOCs.
Fluoride ions
While it is true that Brita filters do not filter out Fluorides, they do remove other chemicals. Generally, Brita pitcher filters remove chlorine, lead, and other chemicals, but do not remove Fluoride ions. Because fluoride is essential for cavity prevention, the American Dental Association recommends the use of a fluoride-containing water filter in your home. Even if a Brita pitcher filter does not filter out Fluoride ions, it is still a good option.
There are two types of water filters available: activated carbon and ion exchange resin. These filters do not remove fluoride ions, so it’s important to understand their limitations. While Brita filters are a good baseline when it comes to water purification, they are ineffective for removing fluoride and other contaminants. Reverse osmosis systems are more effective at removing fluoride.
Calcium
You may have heard that a Brita water filter does not remove calcium. This is not completely true. While Brita water filters do reduce chlorine and other contaminants, they do not remove calcium or magnesium. In fact, a recent study found that the Brita filter removes only 10 percent of calcium and 25 percent of magnesium. But this doesn’t mean that the Brita filter is useless. Let’s look at what exactly it does.
The taste of water is largely determined by the amounts of magnesium and calcium. These two minerals are necessary for the body, but they are present in low concentrations in the water we use. When calcium is filtered out of water, it improves its texture and taste, so you can drink it without fear of deficiency or increased risk of certain diseases. Magnesium is another component of hard water. Though it isn’t toxic in small amounts, it can be harmful when used regularly. Consequently, water that contains magnesium should be filtered through a system that removes this mineral.
