Tap Water in the United States is contaminated with toxic fluorinated chemicals at a higher rate than previously thought, according to a new report. “It’s nearly impossible to avoid contaminated drinking water from these chemicals,” David Andrews, a senior scientist at Environmental Working Group and co-author of the report published Wednesday, said. “Forever chemicals,” also known as perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), are resistant to breaking down and may affect far more than the 110 million Americans estimated in the Environmental Working Group’s 2018 report based on unpublished U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data. Some of the chemicals are known to cause cancer, liver damage, low birth weight and other health problems. “The results confirm that the number of Americans exposed to PFAS from contaminated tap water has been dramatically underestimated by previous studies, both from the Environmental Protection Agency and EWG’s own research,” the report said. Some of the highest levels were found in Miami, Philadelphia, New Orleans, northern New Jersey and New York City suburbs. The manmade chemicals were used in products like Scotchguard, Teflon and in firefighting foam, Reuters reported. The group took tap water samples from 44 places in 31 states and found only Meridian, Miss., which draws its drinking water from wells, had no traceable amounts of the chemicals. Only Seattle and Tuscaloosa, Ala. had less than one part per trillion, which the group recommends. The EPA has known about the contamination for 19 years but has not yet set a nationwide standard, according to a recent Reuters article . According to Wikipedia, A perfluorinated compound (PFC) is an organofluorine compound containing only carbon-fluorines and C-C bonds but also other heteroatoms. One example is perfluorooctanoic acid, which functions as a carboxylic acid, but with strongly altered surfactant and hydrophobic characteristics.[1] Fluorosurfactants are ubiquitously used in teflon, water resistant textiles and fire-fighting foam. Certain technologies have been found to remove PFAS from drinking water, especially Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), which are the most studied of these chemicals. Those technologies include activated carbon adsorption, ion exchange resins, and high-pressure membranes. These technologies can be used in drinking water treatment facilities, in water systems in hospitals or individual buildings, or even in homes at the point-of-entry, where water enters the home, or the point-of-use, such as in a kitchen sink or a shower. Activated carbon treatment is the most studied treatment for PFAS removal. Activated carbon is commonly used to adsorb natural organic compounds, taste and odor compounds, and synthetic organic chemicals in drinking water treatment systems. Adsorption is both the physical and chemical process of accumulating a substance, such as PFAS, at the interface between liquid and solids phases. Activated carbon is an effective adsorbent because it is a highly porous material and provides a large surface area to which contaminants may adsorb. Activated carbon (GAC) is made from organic materials with high carbon contents such as wood, lignite, and coal; and is often used in granular form called granular activated carbon (GAC).
The Everpure H-300- NXT is the first of its kind to be certified by NSF to NSF/ANSI Standard 401, to reduce even pharmaceuticals that may be found in your water. These contaminants include: some pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter medications, herbicides, pesticides and chemicals used in manufacturing like bisphenol A (BPA). The Pentair Everpure exclusive precoat filtration technology combines Micro-Pure* and a unique pleated filter membrane that is 30% larger than the H-300 filter. Comparable to our top selling H-300, with added benefits to help give your family peace of mind.
For more information about this system or any of our other drinking water systems please call 800-942-7873 or info@filterpure.com.