Do Berkey Filters Remove or Reduce PFCs/PFAS (PFOA and PFOS)?
Yes, see test results
What are PFCs and PFAS?
Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), formerly known as perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs), are toxic, man-made chemical compounds that companies started using in the 1940s to make fluoropolymer coatings. These coatings are made to withstand substances like oil, water, heat, grease and stains for products like non-stick cooking surfaces, fabrics, cleaning products and foam used to fight fires.
Types of PFASs include perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS). PFOAs and PFOS have been phased out by companies over the years due to their harmful effects on humans, but it wasn’t until 2020 that the EPA announced it would regulate the chemicals in drinking water.
How do they get into drinking water?
While many companies aren't using PFOA and PFOS anymore, the chemicals can linger for years. That’s why PFASs are considered persistent industrial chemicals, also known as persistent organic pollutants (POPs). These chemicals don’t break down in the environment and can get into the soil and drinking water systems. Areas with industrial plants or firefighter facilities tend to have the highest amounts of the chemicals.
What are the dangers of PFAS in the water supply?
Unfortunately, there is limited research on PFASs, but there are efforts to reverse that. From a few studies, researchers have found that PFAS can increase cholesterol, restrict natural hormones and impact immune systems. It can also cause certain kinds of cancer.
Currently, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has deemed it a possible carcinogenic. That is based on evidence of the chemicals causing kidney and testicular cancer.
How do you know if you have PFAS in your water?
To determine if you have PFAS in your water, contact your local water provider online or search the Environmental Working Group (EWG) interactive PFAS contamination map.
How Can PFAS be removed from your drinking water?
A couple ways to remove these chemicals from your water is by using one of three home water filter methods. Berkey Filters use two of these methods, activated carbon and ion exchange, to remove or reduce PFAS from your water.
Reverse Osmosis
PFAS can be filtered well using the reverse osmosis method. A high-pressured pump pushes water through a semipermeable membrane, leaving drinking water behind and taking out the contaminants. However, it also takes out the minerals, some of which you want to get rid of, but not all because it gets rid of essential minerals your body needs. Reverse osmosis is also expensive and much of the water used in the process is wasted, wasting water and using more energy than other methods.
Activated CarbonWater filters with activated carbon adsorb organic compounds and chemicals and remove odors and taste from water. They are effective on their own and remove PFOA and PFOS well, but have trouble with Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS) and Perfluorobutyrate (PFBA). Berkey Filters incorporates this method into the filtration process with Black Berkey elements.
Ion Exchange
In this method, positive and negative ions attract opposite charged heavy metals to a filtration media. They hold on to the harmful heavy metals so that they don’t go through the water system, leaving water without contaminants. This process tends to be more expensive than others, but it is effective.
The Berkey Difference
Our Berkey Filters uses a combination of three different processes to filter water, including ion exchange and activated carbon filters, which are used to reduce PFAS in drinking water. Our process starts off with our Black Berkey Filters, which are made up of six different media types and have minuscule pores, making it difficult for contaminants to get through. On top of this, the filters use adsorption to keep more contaminants out. Ion exchange attracts heavy metals to the media, blocking even more contaminants. Then, the gravity flow feature of our filter system has this process move slowly enough that contaminants have an even harder time to get through, but fast enough to help you get the filtered water you need.
According to tests done by EPA-accredited labs, Berkey Filters removed or reduced up to 99.9% of PFAS, including PFOA and PFOS, from the water along with other types of PFAS.
Does Berkey filter
Chromium 6?
While most water filters don’t remove chromium-6, the good news is Berkey filters remove or reduce up to 99.8% of Chromium-6.
Do Berkey Filters Change Your pH Level
Depending on your water, Berkey may change the pH level