Does Brita Filter Out PFAS? The answer may shock you!

You may have gotten a shocking and scary letter from the government warning you of PFAS in your water supply. You may be one of the 110 million americans (according to EWS.org) affected by this deadly chemical! Now you’re looking at your trusty Brita water filter pitcher and wondering, Does Brita Filter Out PFAS? The answer…may shock you.

• Read: 13 Reasons To Buy a Brita Water Pitcher

What are PFAS? And Does Brita Filter Out PFAS?

According to the Environmental Protection Agency of the United States, “Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of man-made chemicals that includes PFOA, PFOS, GenX, and many other chemicals”.

PFAS is essentially a man-made chemical that is used in many things.

However, the problem is PFAS are “persistent” meaning that it doesn’t get broken down by the human body. Additionally, there’s evidence it can have really bad health effects.

The Harm PFAS Does To Humans

PFAS is incredibly dangerous to humans. According to tappwatter.co here are some of the adverse and harmful effects to humans PFAS does.

• Infertility Problems.
• Interferes with human body hormones.
• Affect the immune system.
• Increases risk for cancer.

PFAS is a scary chemical to have in your body with harmful side effects. The worst part is, you can’t even see it.

Now we are wondering, Does Brita Filter Out PFAS? Well, what does Brita exactly filter?

Where is PFAS Found? Have I Been Poisoning Myself?

You are probably drinking PFAS right now.

That’s right. PFAS is a country wide problem. It leaks from military bases, factories, and more. Even if your location isn’t directly listed, there’s still a great chance it is in your water supply.

What Does Brita Filter? Does It Even Filter Out Bad Things?

Taking a quick look at Brita’s website, we get a big list of what they filter.

Brita boasts filtering many chemicals such as:

• Chlorine
• Mercury
• Cadmium
• Copper Zinc

However, throughout this list, PFAS or any of its other names are not mentioned. But, this does not mean that brita doesn’t filter it.

So What Does Filter Out PFAS?

According to Michigan State University, you can tell if a filter is able to remove PFAS based on these factors:

• NSF Certified P473
• It’s a Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) filter.
• It’s a Reverse Osmosis (RO) filter.

But, there’s a problem. Because these are just filters, they don’t always completely eliminate PFAS. And some filters in general do a great job of removing PFAS without being certified.

The Department of Natural Resources is hosting the inaugural Wisconsin PFAS Action Council meeting today. WisPAC is composed of state agencies charged with developing and coordinating statewide initiatives to address the growing PFAS health and environmental concern. pic.twitter.com/rFWX6KxRvF

— Wisconsin DNR (@WDNR) November 14, 2019

What is a GAC Filter? Do I have one?

A GAC filter is a Granulated Activated Carbon filter. Usually these filters:

• Do not remove minerals from water.
• Reduces PFAS and contaminants in water.
• Uses a carbon filtration cartridge to remove contaminants.

You likely do not own a GAC filter unless you run a large business. These filters are typically seen in a fast food store such as McDonald’s. They are used for mass water filtering.

What is a RO filter? Do I have one?

A RO filter is a Reverse Osmosis filter. Usually Reverse Osmosis filters:

• Remove more contaminants than GAC filters.
• Use different layers and membranes to force the contaminants out of the water before served to the person.
• Uses more waste and is slower to filter the water.
• More expensive.

Most homes do not have a reverse osmosis filter. However, they are becoming more common and cheaper to use.

Since most tap water is unsafe to drink, I’d recommend buying one or a GAC filter. Again, these are typically used in a business setting.

A watched pot never boils? More like a watched Brita pitcher never finishes filtering. pic.twitter.com/TjNZpyqW5G

— Krystina (@kjb27) March 4, 2018

Does Brita Filter Out PFAS Based On That List? Does Brita Protect Me?

According to Brita’s website:

A brita filter is an active carbon and ion-exchange filter. This means that yes, brita is a granulated activated carbon filter.

Earlier according to Michigan State, granulated activated carbon filters do help in reducing PFAS in your water.

So, yes, Brita can help reduce the PFAS in your water. However, this doesn’t mean you’re completely safe. Because, GAC filters only reduce PFAS, and do not eliminate it entirely. Additionally, brita household filters are not industrial sized GAC/RO filters. This means that their filtering abilities are limited and may not help you out.

Brita’s Official Statement

Brita made an official statement on twitter about this recently. And, it didn’t give much information.

Hi there, Mike. While our filters can remove many common pollutants found in municipal tap water, we cannot make a claim for our products to remove PFAS at this time. We understand your interest, and we'd be happy to document this for our team. Thanks for reaching out.

— Brita USA (@BritaUSA) September 13, 2019

Brita essentially said they cannot confirm the claim at this time. However, maybe later on they will come out with an official statement regarding this.

Conclusion

In summary, brita filters will help reduce PFAS, but will not eliminate it completely. Additionally, they are not certified by the NFS for PFAS removal, so the amount of PFAS may still be high. If you are concerned about PFAS in your area, consider buying a full RO/GAC system or a filter certified by the NFS. If I were you, I would not trust the brita filter, but it’s better than nothing.

Actually, Brita do filters help filter out some PFOA/PFAS. But you need a stronger filter to be totally effective.

— Sean Herman (@SeanGHerman) January 31, 2019

• Household Filters Approved for PFAS removal by the NFS.