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Best Home Water Filters for Toxic PFAS “Forever Chemical” Filtration

Mamavation » Blog » Brands | Mamavation » Best Home Water Filters for Toxic PFAS “Forever Chemical” Filtration
3 different glasses of water with clean and polluted water

October 25, 2021 //  by Leah Segedie

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What are the best home water filters for toxic PFAS “forever chemical” filtration? Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (aka PFAS “forever chemicals”) have been detected all over the United States in water systems in advisory levels. What do you do if your local well or water district has detectable levels of PFAS? You should get a water filter as soon as possible, but which ones are the most effective? You’ve trusted Mamavation to bring you topics like safest cookware without PFAS and nanomaterials, safest period underwear without PFAS, safest ketchup brands without detectable PFAS, and safest parchment paper without PFAS, now join us for the best water filters for home use that filter out toxic PFAS “Forever Chemicals” based on consumer studies.

Disclosure: This post has been medically reviewed by Sondra Strand, RN, BSN, PHN.  This post contains affiliate links. 

Water filters to remove iron, together with tanks

Table of Contents

  • Toxic PFAS “Forever Chemicals” Found in Over 2,800 Locations & All 50 States in the U.S.
  • Toxic PFAS “Forever Chemicals” Have Been Linked to Numerous Human Health Concerns
  • How Prevalent are Toxic PFAS “Forever Chemicals” & What To Do If You Find Them Locally
  • Consumer Study on Water Filters Compared Labs of Over 80 Units for PFAS “Forever Chemical” Filtration
  • Mamavation’s Recommended Product: Aqua Tru Countertop Water Filtration Reverse Osmosis
  • Mamavation’s Investigation of Water Filter Systems for Toxic PFAS “Forever Chemical” Filtration
    • Not Our Favorite Water Filter Systems for Toxic PFAS “Forever Chemical” Filtration
    • Better Water Filter Systems for Toxic PFAS “Forever Chemical” Filtration
    • Best Water Filter Systems for Toxic PFAS “Forever Chemical” Filtration

Toxic PFAS “Forever Chemicals” Found in Over 2,800 Locations & All 50 States in the U.S.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (aka PFAS “forever chemicals”) include several thousand chemicals that have been used for over 50 years for a variety of things like stain and water repellency in jackets & furniture, lubrication of manufacturing equipment, wiring in electronics, non-stick coatings in pans, grease resistance in food packaging, and grease fire fighting foams at military bases and airports. As a result, these chemicals have been detected in our air, water, groundwater, soil, and household dust.

According to a recent study by the Environmental Working Group, as of August 2021, 2,854 locations in 50 states and two territories are known to be contaminated with PFAS “forever chemicals.” The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has known about the health hazards of PFAS for decades but has failed to limit PFAS discharges into the air and water or set cleanup standards until just this week.

Mamavation joined a press conference on Monday, October 18th with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to discover there was some forward progress being planned to address these issues, but in our opinion, they are VERY late getting to the table on this. We are thankful they have finally decided to make plans of action, however, for the purposes of your family, this may be too late. Based on the prevalence of the contamination already present in the United States, you may need to take immediate action to protect your family.

Water filters. Carbon cartridges and a glass on a white blue background. Household filtration system

Toxic PFAS “Forever Chemicals” Have Been Linked to Numerous Human Health Concerns

PFAS “forever chemicals” are pretty much everywhere, which is why they are referred to as being ubiquitous. To underscore that point, researchers have found that 98% of people in the United States have some of these chemicals (PFOS, PFOA, PFHxS, and PFNA) inside their bodies. Coupled with the fact that close to 100% of samples of breastmilk show traces of PFAS, it’s apparent how ubiquitous they really are.

These chemicals are also persistent, which means they build up in your body over time and do not go anywhere for several years. Therefore it’s very important to minimize the amount of PFAS chemicals you are exposed to, even if those levels are very small. Unless you avoid PFAS, your exposure level would only increase over time, which can lead to disease.

Here is the list of health problems (PFAS) perfluorinated chemicals are linked with.

  • reduction in immunity
  • metabolic diseases like obesity & diabetes
  • reduced vaccination response
  • cardiovascular disease
  • affect the growth, learning, and behavior of infants and older children
  • increased risk of allergies & asthma in young children
  • lower a woman’s chance of getting pregnant
  • increase the chances of miscarriage 
  • low birth weight
  • increase cholesterol levels
  • low sperm count
  • smaller penis size
  • increase the risk of cancer like testicular & kidney cancers
  • thyroid disease

If you’d like to talk to your doctor about your own exposure to PFAS, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, a division of Community Health Investigations has created this fact sheet to use.

Water filters. Carbon cartridges and a glass on a blue background. Household filtration system

How Prevalent are Toxic PFAS “Forever Chemicals” & What To Do If You Find Them Locally

Due to the widespread nature of PFAS chemicals and increased scrutiny, long-chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) have been phased out of production and replaced with short-chain “current use” PFAAs and per- and polyfluoroalkyl ether acids (PFEAs), such as GenX, ADONA, and F-53B, and these chemicals are becoming very prevalent in our environment. It’s important to also remember that even though chemicals like perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) have been phased out, they are persistent so they are still being found in drinking water, soil, and ambient air.

However, it’s surmised by researchers that the main exposure pathway for PFAS “forever chemicals” is through ingestion of contaminated drinking water. But despite all the increased awareness, PFAS are repeatedly detected at elevated levels in treated drinking water because they are not always removed in full-scale water treatment plants. These water treatment plants would need to use expensive technology combining the following methods to be successful and not all have these technologies:

  • Granular activated carbon (GAC) absorption
  • Anion exchange
  • High-pressure membrane filtration, such as nanofiltration and reverse osmosis filters

First, check the water database from the Environmental Working Group to see if your local tap water has any PFAS contamination issues. If you find anything, you’ll want to purchase and maintain an at-home water filtration system that is particularly powerful at removing PFAS if these chemicals have been found in their area. This investigation will go over which types of residential water filters are effective at removing the following chemicals via a consumer study in 2020: GenX, PFBS, PFHxS, PFBA, PFOS, PFPA, PFHxA, PFHpA, PFOA, PFNA,  & PFDA.

Next, choose from several types of water treatment systems like pitcher-style filters, sink reverse osmosis filter, whole house filtration with whole-house systems, ion exchange, carbon treatments, etc. We prefer NSF International certification, but you can find others independently tested (like in this post) to filter PFAS compounds. Not all systems will be able to handle different types of PFAS or high levels of PFAS, so do your research before buying.

Then finally, do your best to avoid PFAS in other areas of your home.

Water filters. Carbon cartridges and a glass of water on a wooden background. Household filtration system

Consumer Study on Water Filters Compared Labs of Over 80 Units for PFAS “Forever Chemical” Filtration

In 2020 researchers, including Heather Stapleton from Duke University, published a study in the Journal of Environmental Science & Technology Letters called Assessing the Effectiveness of Point-of-Use Residential Drinking Water Filters for Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs). This study looked at 89 water filters inside homes that had contaminated drinking water in North Carolina with PFAS pollution.

In order to assess each filter, the Wilcoxon-Rank sum test was conducted on the pre- and post-filter of each water system on the following PFAS chemicals: GenX, PFBS, PFHxS, PFBA, PFOS, PFPA, PFHxA, PFHpA, PFOA, PFNA,  & PFDA. (Note: This is not an exhaustive list of all the PFAS compounds out there, but ones under a regulatory health advisory.)

Here were some main findings:

  • On average PFAAs with greater chain lengths were more efficiently removed by activated carbon filters, however short-chain “current use” PFAS chemicals are reliably filtered by these same filters with the exception of dual-stage filters.
  • All reverse osmosis and dual-stage use filters showed significant removal (p < 0.05) for PFCAs and PFSAs, reducing levels over 90% efficiency.
  • All reverse osmosis and dual-stage filters showed removal of PFEAs at 97% efficiency.
  • 74% of reverse osmosis and dual-stage systems were able to reduce GenX to a non-detect level.
  • Activated carbon POU filters (including countertop, faucet, pitcher, fridge, and single-stage under sink filters) demonstrated greater variability in removing PFSas and PFCAs.
  • Single-stage under the sink filters removed a majority of PFSAs at 84% but removed only half of PFCAs.

Aqua Tru Countertop Water Filtration Reverse Osmosis

Mamavation’s Recommended Product: Aqua Tru Countertop Water Filtration Reverse Osmosis

After we categorized all the water filters, pitchers, and refrigerator filters, it was clear that there was an affordable option! Mamavation is recommending you get a countertop AquaTru system.

  • AquaTru is the first and only countertop reverse osmosis water purifier.
  • Certified to NSF standards to remove 85 contaminants, including lead, Chromium-6, Chlorine, Fluoride, PFAs, and more.
  • Was the only countertop brand independently tested to have non-detect levels of all PFAS chemicals in the independent study: GenX, PFBS, PFHxS, PFBA, PFOS, PFPA, PFHxA, PFHpA, PFOA, & PFDA
  • Two different locations in the study had Aqua Tru machines and both had similar results–all the PFAS was at non-detectable levels.

Mamavation reached out to AquaTru and this link will get you $150 off a unit deducted automatically at checkout. 

  • AquaTru Countertop Water Purifier Connect (with Wifi connectivity built-in meters & tracking) — $499.00 ($349 with automatic Mamavation discount)
  • AquaTru Countertop Water Purifier Classic — $449 ($299 with automatic Mamavation discount)
  • AquaTru Under Sink Reverse Osmosis Water Purifier — $299
  • AquaTru Under Sink Alkaline Reverse Osmosis Water Purifier (with added minerals) — $319

Water filters. Carbon cartridges and a glass on a white background. Household filtration system

Mamavation’s Investigation of Water Filter Systems for Toxic PFAS “Forever Chemical” Filtration

Mamavation is reporting on the results from the consumer study in 2020 and dividing the systems into clear winners and ones that are “not our favorite” in terms of removing toxic PFAS “forever chemicals.” These units will remove PFAS levels in the water supply at various rates so pay attention to details.

  • For the “best” category, we pulled systems that were tested against eight or more of the PFAS chemicals and had non-detect levels after filtration.
  • For the “better” category, we pulled systems that were tested against less than 8 PFAS chemicals and had non-detect levels after filtration. This category does not mean they are “worse” per se, but just that there was no independent proof they worked against all the other additional chemicals.
  • For the “not our favorite” category, we pulled brands that filtered PFAS, but not all of them.

We believe this arrangement will help consumers get their water to the safest levels.

Water filters. Carbon cartridges and glasses on a white background. Household filtration system

Not Our Favorite Water Filter Systems for Toxic PFAS “Forever Chemical” Filtration

For the “not our favorite” category, we pulled brands that filtered PFAS, but did not bring all the PFAS chemicals to non-detectable levels. These water filters didn’t filter some of these PFAS chemicals: GenX, PFBS, PFHxS, PFBA, PFOS, PFPA, PFHxA, PFHpA, PFOA, & PFDA.

  • Amana Refrigerator Filter (Didn’t filter all GenX, PFHxS, PFBA, PFPA, PFHxA, & PFHpA)
  • AquaSauna EQ- Whole House -GAC (Didn’t filter all PFBS, PFHxS, PFOS, PFOA, & PFDA)
  • AquaSauna Under Sink OptimH2O Reverse Osmosis Claryum (Didn’t filter all PFHxA or PFHpA)
  • Berkey Pitcher (Didn’t filter all GenX, PFBA, PFOS, PFPA, & PFHxA)
  • Big Berkey with 2 Black Filters (Didn’t filter all GenX, PFBA, PFPA, & PFHxA)
  • Bosch Refrigerator Filter (Didn’t filter all PFBS, PFBA, & PFHpA)
  • Brita Pitcher (Didn’t filter all GenX, PFBS, PFHxS, PFBA, PFOS, PFPA, PFHxA, PFHpA, & PFOA)
  • Brita Soho Pitcher (Didn’t filter all GenX, PFHxS, PFBA, PFOS, PFPA, PFHxA, PFHpA, PFOA, & PFDA)
  • Clear Choice Refrigerator Filter (Didn’t filter all GenX, PFHxS, PFBA, PFOS, PFPA, PFHxA, & PFHpA, & PFOA)
  • Culligan Under Sink Single Stage (Didn’t filter all PFBA, PFHxA, PFHpA, PFOA, & PFNA)
  • Every Drop Refrigerator Filter (Didn’t filter all GenX, PFHxS, PFBA, PFOS, PFPA, PFHxA, PFHpA, & PFOA)
  • Filtrete: 3US-PF01 Under Sink single Stage (Didn’t filter all PFBA & PFPA)
  • GE Refrigerator (unknown model) (Didn’t filter all GenX, PFHxS, PFBA, PFOS, PFPA, PFHxA, PFHpA, PFOA, & PFDA)
  • GE Smart Water Refrigerator Filter (Didn’t filter all GenX, PFHxS, PFBA, PFOS, PFPA, PFHxA, PFHpA, & PFOA)
  • GE Smart WaterPlus Refrigerator Filter (Didn’t filter all PFBA & PFHxA)
  • HydroViv Under-Sink Single Stage (Didn’t filter all GenX, PFBA, PFPA, PFHxA, & PFHpA)
  • Jenn-Air Refrigerator Filter (Didn’t filter all GenX, PFBS, PFHxS, PFBA, PFOS, PFPA, PFHxA, & PFHpA)
  • PUR Faucet (Didn’t filter all GenX, PFBS, PFHxS, PFBA, PFOS, PFPA, PFHxA, & PFHpA)
  • PUR Pitcher (Didn’t filter all GenX, PFBS, PFHxS, PFBA, PFOS, PFPA, PFHxA, PFHpA, PFOA, & PFDA)
  • Primo Reverse Osmosis (Didn’t filter all PFOS)
  • Puronics Clarius-WIGEN Whole House-GAC/CIX (Didn’t filter all GenX, PFBA, PFPA, PFHxA, & PFHpA)
  • Puronics Clarius-W Whole House-GAC/CIX (Didn’t filter all GenX, PFBA, PFPA, PFHxA, & PFHpA)
  • Puronics Defender IGEN Whole House-GAC/CIX (Didn’t filter all GenX, PFHxS, PFBA, PFOS, PFPA, PFHxA, & PFHpA)
  • Samsung Refrigerator Filter (unknown model) (Didn’t filter all GenX, PFBA, PFPA, PFHxA, PFHpA, & PFOA)
  • Whirlpool Refrigerator Filter (unknown model) (Didn’t filter all PFBA, PFPA, PFHxA, & PFHpA)
  • Whirlpool WHEM B40 Dual-Stage (Didn’t filter all PFBA & PFOS)
  • Whirlpool HDX FMW-5 Refrigerator Filter (Didn’t filter all GenX, PFHxS, PFBA, PFOS, PFPA, PFHxA, PFHpA, PFOA, & PFDA)
  • Whirlpool WHCF-DUF Under-Sink Single Stage (Didn’t filter all GenX, PFBA, PFHxA, PFHpA, PFOA, & PFDA)
  • Whirlpool Under Sink Single Stage (Didn’t filter all GenX, PFBA, PFHxA, & PFHpA)
  • Zero Water Pitcher (Didn’t filter all GenX, PFBA, PFOS, PFPA, PFHxA, PFHpA, PFOA & PDFA)

Reverse Osmosis System, 3D rendering

Better Water Filter Systems for Toxic PFAS “Forever Chemical” Filtration

For the “better” category, we pulled systems that were tested against less than 8 PFAS chemicals and had non-detect levels after filtration. This category does not mean they are “worse” per se, but just that there was no independent proof they worked against all PFAS chemicals within the study.

  • Custom Formulations KDF/GAC Under Sink Single Stage (5 absent chemicals: PFBS, PFHxS, PFOS, PFNA, & PFDA)
  • EcoAquaEFF Refrigerator (5 chemicals absent: PFBS, PFHxS, PFOS, PFNA, & PFDA)
  • eSpring 100189 (UV lamp off) Under-sink Single Stage (6 chemicals absent: PFBS, PFHxS, PFOS, PFOA, PFNA, & PFDA)
  • Puronics Micromax 7000 Reverse Osmosis (10 chemicals absent: PFBS, PFHxS, PFBA, PFOS, PFPA, PFHxA, PFHpA, PFOA, & PFDA)
  • Titan Water Pro NW- RO50-NP35 (5 chemicals absent: PFBS, PFHxS, PFNA, & PFDA)

Water filters. Carbon cartridges and a glass of water

Best Water Filter Systems for Toxic PFAS “Forever Chemical” Filtration

These brands had PFAS at Minimum Detection Levels (MDL) meaning it was not detected when the filter was running. The following PFAS chemicals were accounted for: GenX, PFBS, PFHxS, PFBA, PFOS, PFPA, PFHxA, PFHpA, PFOA, PFNA, & PFDA. These water filters were tested against at least 8 of these chemicals and passed. There was some variance on what chemicals were present in the water at each home and if any were not present, we called that out for you as an FYI.

  • APEC Water: RO-45 Reverse Osmosis & Zero Water Reverse Osmosis running in a series (1 absent chemical: PFBS)
  • APEC RO-45 Reverse Osmosis (3 absent chemicals: PFOA, PFNA, & PFDA)
  • AQUA TRU Countertop Water Filtration Reverse Osmosis (No absent chemicals) (This link will deduct $150 off a unit for you automatically at checkout.)
  • Culligan Reverse Osmosis (3 absent chemicals: PFPA, PFNA, & PFDA)
  • Culligan Aqua-Cleer Reverse Osmosis (3 absent chemicals: PFBS, PFNA, & PFDA)
  • EcoWater Reverse Osmosis (1 absent chemical: PFBS)
  • GE: FXSVC Dual-Stage (3 absent chemicals: PFPA, PFNA, & PFDA)
  • GE Refrigerator (unknown model) (1 absent chemical: PFBS) (We are looking further into which one, so please hold off from buying for now)
  • Hydroviv Tailored Tapwater & HDX Whirlpool 3 Dual-Stage (3 absent chemicals: PFBS, PFNA, & PFDA)
  • Hydroviv Tailored Tapwater Under-sink Single Stage (3 absent chemicals: PFBS, PFNA, & PFDA)
  • Kenmore Dual-stage (3 absent chemicals: PFPA, PFNA, & PFDA)
  • Kinetico K-5 Reverse Osmosis (3 absent chemicals: PFBS, PFNA, & PFDA)
  • LG Refrigerator (3 absent chemicals: PFPA, PFNA, & PFDA)
  • PUR Refrigerator Filter (No absent chemicals)
  • Samsung Refrigerator (Unknown model)(3 absent chemicals: PFBS, PFNA, & PFDA) (We are looking further into which one, so please hold off on buying for now)
  • Whirlpool: WHEEDF Dual-Stage (2 absent chemicals: PFNA & PFDA)

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anonymous

    January 28, 2023 at 9:48 pm

    isn’t it pretty relevant that the ZeroWater filter used in the study was a month old? for high TDS water, the ZeroWater filter isn’t really expected to last that long. i typically change mine every 2 weeks or so. great information here though thanks

    Reply
  2. Michelle

    January 26, 2023 at 9:40 pm

    Do you have a link to the published results for each filter? Maybe I missed it but I couldn’t find a link to the direct information.

    Thanks

    Reply
  3. Anonymous

    January 20, 2023 at 5:11 am

    It seems people forget that reverse osmosis also removes all nutrients and minerals in your water. It’s so dangerous to drink if you don’t replace them.

    Reply
    • Colleen Sabados

      January 31, 2023 at 7:22 am

      You shouldn’t be getting all your nutrients from water? Add a pinch of Himalayan Sea Salt. What do you suggest?

      Reply
    • Diane Bedlin

      February 7, 2023 at 6:43 am

      i agree, i am confounded with the knowledge my tap water is harmful and i can’t find clean drinking water that won’t leach minerals from my body. I mean i have a whole house filter i spent thousands of dollars on in 2016 and now i find it hasn’t been protecting us from the radium chromium and other carcinogenic toxins found in my water ..we have been bathing in the toxic. I am so mad and frustrated. I am trying to do the right thing and it’s so hard and expensive.

      Reply
  4. Anonymous

    January 15, 2023 at 2:39 pm

    What are your thoughts on Springwell whole house system and under sink?

    Reply
  5. Deb

    January 11, 2023 at 6:58 pm

    Hi Leah,

    Did you mean for the url above: “check the water database” to go to the water database? Currently it simply comes back to this section on your recommendations.

    High-pressure membrane filtration, such as nanofiltration and reverse osmosis filters
    First, check the water database from the Environmental Working Group to see if your local tap water has any PFAS contamination issues. If you find anything, you’ll want to purchase and maintain an at-home water filtration system that is particularly powerful at removing PFAS if these chemicals have been found in their area. This investigation will go over which types of residential water filters are effective at removing the following chemicals via a consumer study in 2020: GenX, PFBS, PFHxS, PFBA, PFOS, PFPA, PFHxA, PFHpA, PFOA, PFNA, & PFDA.

    Reply
  6. Laina

    January 10, 2023 at 3:42 pm

    I would be interested in learning more about whole-house filters that get rid of PFAs, fluoride and chlorine. Thanks!

    P.S. This site seems a bit glitchy. Comments disappear or are flagged as duplicates when they’re not. Also, when reading these long articles I am frequently sent back to the top and need to scroll back through to figure out where I left off.

    Reply
  7. Rick

    December 8, 2022 at 11:40 am

    Can you check Epic Water Filters? They have testing on their website for PFAS for all of their products.

    Reply
  8. Matt

    November 27, 2022 at 11:46 pm

    Please advise what you know about Kangen water machines, the water purified through them, etc.

    Are they safe to use?

    Reply
    • Leah Segedie

      November 28, 2022 at 8:59 am

      It’s unknown for this study. They did not include a Kangen machine.

      Reply
  9. Lizzy

    November 11, 2022 at 3:29 pm

    Plus one for evaluation of Alexapure – love to know how it stacks up.

    Reply
  10. Allison

    October 29, 2022 at 1:06 pm

    Thank you so much for these recommendations. I realize the independent data is limited to the types of filters used in this particular study, but if you ever do more research into water filters, I’d love to find out how the combination ceramic/carbon gravity filters perform, like the AquaCera CeraMetix-GF. That particular filter claims a reduction rate of >99% for Fluorinated Organic Acids (PFOA & PFOS), which is shown in their published lab results (https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0272/0661/files/16-112_AquaCera_Chem_Red_test.pdf?7672504941760631133)—but it sounds like it might be unwise to trust those numbers. I imagine the carbon element is doing most of the work of filtering PFAS, and the ceramic element doesn’t add much?

    Reply
  11. Nancy Pienkowski

    October 5, 2022 at 1:50 pm

    Clearly Filtered would be smart to get into this mix.

    Reply
  12. Ellie

    September 20, 2022 at 4:12 pm

    What are your thoughts on Pure Effects Filter?

    Reply
    • Leah Segedie

      September 24, 2022 at 9:05 am

      We are waiting for some additional independent studies to hit before we update with some other brands.

      Reply
      • Erin

        November 2, 2022 at 9:58 am

        What about clearly filtered? So Berkey doesnt filter any PFA’s?

        Reply
        • Patrick

          December 3, 2022 at 2:42 pm

          I’d also like to find out about Clearly Filtered. They say they do remove pretty much everything

          Reply
      • Linda Martin

        November 14, 2022 at 9:45 am

        We just bought a house in St. Charles county, MO 63304, and today read an article in the Saint Louis Dispatch about ground water contaminated by vinyl chloride. So following….

        Reply
  13. Connor

    September 19, 2022 at 1:36 pm

    Have you done any research on a clearly filtered water pitcher made w/ tritan plastic?

    Reply
    • Jennifer

      November 2, 2022 at 6:55 am

      I have a clearly filtered and love it. I see quite a few people asked about them, but no one responded yet…hopefully they do soon, I’m curious!

      Reply
  14. Mike

    August 8, 2022 at 3:21 am

    Cyclopure now makes a PFAS filter that works with Brita pitchers.

    Reply
    • Gale

      August 20, 2022 at 12:31 pm

      Any updates on which GE fridge filters were good? We just got a GE Cafe fridge. Hoping we can use the ice from the ice machine!

      Reply
    • Sarra

      January 28, 2023 at 9:50 am

      Have you conducted any research on the RKIN reverse osmosis table top system? I own one and love it but wonder if you are familiar with their product. I prefer it over other tabletop units due to putting vital elements back into the water. Taste is important as well. Thanks so much for your time.

      Reply
  15. Schuyler

    August 2, 2022 at 8:21 pm

    Thank you again for all the testing you’ve done. CuZn under sink water filters are relatively inexpensive ($115) and have sent me their test results on a wide range of contaminates. I would love to see an independent test done on it and other KDF/GAC Filters. Thanks.

    Reply
    • erin

      August 30, 2022 at 8:57 pm

      +1 on reviewing CuZn!

      Reply
    • Lien

      October 18, 2022 at 10:58 pm

      Yes, I’m curious to know about CuZn as well! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000923524?ref=myi_title_dp

      Reply
    • Jordan

      December 7, 2022 at 7:45 am

      Can you plz share their test results. Do they remove pfas?

      Reply
    • Ken

      December 7, 2022 at 10:14 am

      Does their test report show they remove pfas?

      Reply
  16. Amber

    August 1, 2022 at 12:13 pm

    Question: Many whole-house systems have tanks lined with HDPE. Is there any data on plastics leaching into these systems from the liners? It seems odd they would use plastic-lined storage tanks when the purpose of filtration is to remove the contaminants.

    Reply
    • Leah Segedie

      August 2, 2022 at 6:37 pm

      I’ve not seen a study like that before

      Reply
  17. John Birch

    August 1, 2022 at 10:07 am

    I’m confused:
    What do you mean by “absent chemicals?”
    Does that mean that there were none of those present before filtering? Or that they were 100% filtered out; absent from the processed water?
    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Leah Segedie

      August 2, 2022 at 6:37 pm

      It means those contaminants were not present in their water

      Reply
      • Peggy Handley

        August 16, 2022 at 12:15 pm

        Not present before or after the filtration? You didn’t answer the question completely.

        Reply
      • Holly

        September 4, 2022 at 5:58 am

        I’m confused why you would recommend PUR if there are no absent chemicals.

        Reply
        • Adreon

          December 3, 2022 at 7:08 am

          This meant that all chemicals were present before filtration.

          Reply
      • Cleo

        January 23, 2023 at 1:59 pm

        I’m still very confused, is NO absent chemicals better than 3 absent chemicals??

        Reply
        • Clara

          February 5, 2023 at 12:28 am

          Following. I found that confusing as well.

          Reply
    • Michelle Y

      August 11, 2022 at 5:41 am

      Do you recommend any whole home filtration systems?

      Thank you!

      Reply
      • Katelynn Minch

        September 15, 2022 at 6:41 am

        Hello! What I am hearing people do is get a Berkey and use ProOne filters inplace of Berkey. It also removes fluoride withoutthe need for a separate filter. ProOne is formally known as ProPur.

        Reply
        • Ellen Kittredge

          November 8, 2022 at 7:00 pm

          How does ProOne score with PFAS? Thanks!

          Reply
      • Shala

        October 1, 2022 at 8:49 am

        I would also like to know more about whole house systems

        Reply
        • Laina

          January 10, 2023 at 3:35 pm

          I would also love to know more about whole house filters that filter PFAs and other nastiest like fluoride and chlorine.

          Reply
  18. Bobbi

    July 28, 2022 at 9:22 pm

    I’m curious about the Pro One Big +. Have you tested any of these?

    Reply
    • Kat

      October 3, 2022 at 8:22 am

      I was also wondering about the Pro One filters. I have a countertop one and when I researched prior to your research on PFAs, it was the one that seemed to remove the most contaminants. Did you research/test this brand?

      Reply
  19. Kelsi

    July 21, 2022 at 10:12 am

    Hello,

    I was wondering about the clearly filtered water pitcher ?

    Reply
    • rob

      September 3, 2022 at 9:27 am

      I noticed they didn’t compare clearly filtered to these other filters

      Reply
  20. John Eldon

    June 17, 2022 at 12:26 pm

    Quantitative product-specific reviews, rather than “didn’t remove everything” would have been helpful for consumers.

    Reply
  21. John Eldon

    June 17, 2022 at 12:25 pm

    Unless you can capture the runoff and use it productively, such as in irrigation, reverse osmosis systems waste 4 gallons of water for every gallon delivered — not a great scenario in a drought.

    Reply
    • Dee

      October 15, 2022 at 7:39 pm

      Most folks don’t drink that much per day. The real water waste is in agriculture, especially when the produce is sold overseas. That means our water (in the form of fruits/veggies/hay) is being shipped overseas.

      Reply
  22. Danielle

    June 2, 2022 at 12:34 pm

    Hi, I’ve seen some articles note that reverse osmosis removes minerals that are essential to our body, but other articles dispute this. Any thoughts on this?

    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Leah Segedie

      June 9, 2022 at 7:22 am

      The reverse osmosis filter we recommended in this post has an option where it adds those minerals back. You are correct in thinking this can cause an issue if you drink lots of water, so make sure to purchase a system that adds these minerals back.

      Reply
    • Jason

      June 22, 2022 at 8:08 pm

      Hello, yes reverse osmosis removes just about everything in your water making it slightly acidic. You can always add an alkaline filter to any ro to add the healthy minerals back into your water and raise ph.

      Reply
  23. Samantha Jazz

    May 9, 2022 at 9:25 pm

    Well PFAS and microplatics are my real concerns and Aqutru done fantastic thing to minimize the level of PFAS and microplatic in it

    Reply
  24. GP

    December 16, 2021 at 11:50 am

    The link for the discount on the AquaTru product doesn’t seem to be working. Has it expired?

    Reply
    • Jules

      November 27, 2022 at 10:22 am

      Go to their website they are having a 25% off Black Friday sale

      Reply
  25. Emily

    December 11, 2021 at 3:33 am

    Thanks for this! Did you ever get the model of the GE fridge?

    Reply
  26. tim

    December 8, 2021 at 2:21 am

    Question about the recommendations on the best Water Filter Systems for Toxic PFAS “Forever Chemical” filtration. What do you mean by absent?
    For example, when you state “Culligan Reverse Osmosis (3 absent chemicals: PFPA, PFNA, & PFDA)” I found the wording confusing.
    Does that mean that for the 3 absent chemicals – PFPA, PFNA, & PFDA …those were not detected but trace levels of GenX, PFBS, PFHxS, PFBA, PFOS, PFHxA, PFHpA, PFOA were in fact detected?
    Any clarification would be greatly appreciated on the “absent chemicals” meaning. Thanks so much for your time effort and help.

    Reply
  27. CD

    November 6, 2021 at 11:27 am

    Were the carbon filters on the various systems new or same age/amount of use – or were they at varying levels of previous usage/age?

    Reply
    • Meg

      July 26, 2022 at 3:08 am

      Question about the recommendations on the best Water Filter Systems for Toxic PFAS “Forever Chemical” filtration. What do you mean by absent?
      For example, when you state “Culligan Reverse Osmosis (3 absent chemicals: PFPA, PFNA, & PFDA)” I found the wording confusing.
      Does that mean that for the 3 absent chemicals – PFPA, PFNA, & PFDA …those were not detected? Or does it mean they were not tested for?
      Any clarification would be greatly appreciated.

      Reply
  28. Amanda

    November 5, 2021 at 4:10 pm

    What about the Lifestraw pitcher??

    Reply
  29. Chris

    October 31, 2021 at 4:16 pm

    Will the Berkey work with four black filters?

    Reply
    • Leah Segedie

      November 3, 2021 at 5:47 am

      None of the 89 homes tested were using that so I can’t be sure. I can only be sure of what was independently verified.

      Reply
  30. Anj

    October 27, 2021 at 3:47 pm

    What about Mercola’s fluoride filter?
    And Fluoride is also critical to remove but barely referenced in this post?
    You never seem to address comments on your posts though…?

    Reply
    • Leah Segedie

      October 28, 2021 at 7:05 pm

      This post is not about fluoride, it’s about PFAS. They both contain fluorine but are different chemicals. PFAS is far more concerning.

      Reply
  31. Anonymous

    October 26, 2021 at 7:12 pm

    I also want to see your results on clearlyfiltered.

    Reply
  32. Lea

    October 26, 2021 at 3:08 pm

    This is great! Thank you! What about the plastic reservoir in the Aqua tru that you recommended? Will that cause BPA or bps of phthalates into the filtered water?

    Reply
    • Leah Segedie

      October 28, 2021 at 7:10 pm

      If you have issues with PFAS in your tap water, the plastic components are the least of your worries. If you do not have PFAS in your tap water, there are other systems that you may like more than this one. We recommended the filter here that has the best efficiency based on an independent study. (Not from studies paid for by the brand themselves.) But there are many other things your tap water can have that may make another type of filter more attractive to you. Take a look at the EWG water database and look into your zipcode to find out first, https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/water-filter-guide.php

      Reply
  33. Rachel

    October 26, 2021 at 12:35 pm

    Leah thank you for your hard work here! You did not reference the plastics used to house the filter and the filter pitcher where applicable. Many of these (e.g. Pur) are made of Tritan, which as you know is terrible. I’ve struggled to answer this question myself. Can this list be further filtered to consider the plastic parts contained in the filter housing and other parts that touch the water?

    Reply
    • Leah Segedie

      October 28, 2021 at 7:12 pm

      We aren’t a fan of Tritan, but in terms of PFAS, I think Tritan is a lower concern. I would say not to store this in direct sunlight and drink the water within a few days. Leaching happens when you apply heat, have high-fat content or there is some type of acid involved. But again, this post is just about PFAS. And that’s a BIG deal.

      Reply
      • Lauren

        November 2, 2021 at 4:22 am

        You mention the Berkey with 2 black filters. What about with 4 black filters?

        Reply
  34. Christina

    October 26, 2021 at 12:01 pm

    Thank you for this! How bad exactly was Berkey?

    Reply
    • Leah Segedie

      October 28, 2021 at 7:13 pm

      The Berkey may be good for other things, but it’s not efficient in filtering out certain types of PFAS.

      Reply
      • Lauren

        November 2, 2021 at 4:24 am

        You mention the Berkey with 2 black filters. What about with 4?

        Reply
        • Leah Segedie

          November 3, 2021 at 5:48 am

          I can only be sure of what systems were indepedently verified in that study.

          Reply
  35. Jen Deering

    October 26, 2021 at 11:50 am

    What about Radient Life water systems? Also Kishu charcoal sticks? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Leah Segedie

      October 28, 2021 at 7:13 pm

      They didn’t look into this brand.

      Reply
    • Skylar

      March 2, 2022 at 6:05 pm

      Also looking for the same clarification “Tim” asked for on Dec. 8th. Please let us know, thanks!

      Reply
  36. Jen Deering

    October 26, 2021 at 11:49 am

    Have you researched Radient Life water systems? How about Kishu charcoal sticks?

    Reply
    • Bill

      October 6, 2022 at 3:50 pm

      What about AlexaPure as a filter for PFAS?

      Reply
  37. Jay

    October 26, 2021 at 11:31 am

    This is great! I don’t see ClearlyFilteted on here?

    Reply
    • Leah Segedie

      October 28, 2021 at 7:13 pm

      They didn’t have that brand as part of the study in homes in North Carolina.

      Reply

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