Why You Should Filter Your Drinking Water
Living in a first world country, it’s easy to take for granted the fact that we have access to clean water.
Many people all over the world struggle simply to find potable water for daily use- water that isn’t contaminated by parasites, pesticide runoff, or any number of other pollutants found in their area. Unfortunately, simply having “clean” water doesn’t mean that it’s good for you.
City sewer systems in major cities started being built in the 1850’s. Previously, sewer water was often dumped in surrounding lakes and waterways. A deadly outbreak of water-borne diseases among the people of Chicago claimed almost 75,000 lives and prompted the city to integrate a sewage system that cleaned the water instead of dumping it into their drinking source.
By 1950 all cities had to have specific water purification systems including filtration, chlorination, and sewage treatment. This greatly reduced outbreaks of diseases like typhoid fever, whooping cough, measles, and diphtheria(1).
While the reduction of these diseases is obviously a benefit, water treatment brings about its own issues that must be addressed. Chlorination and fluoridation and the potential for high levels of heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, nitrates, VOCs, MTBE, and PFA’s should all be considered when determining if you should be filtering your drinking water, and which filter you should use.
Potential Toxins in Your Drinking Water
Chlorination- Chlorine is added at most city water treatment facilities for purification purposes- mostly to kill off bacteria, parasites, and viruses. The levels used at treatment facilities are considered safe by the EPA and government regulations. Chlorine in drinking water becomes an issue when compounded with all the other ways in which we are exposed- mostly swimming pools and household cleaners. Accidents can also occur at water treatment facilities and overuse of chlorination in the water can happen, as well as spillage or poor monitoring of chlorine levels. Chlorine becomes an issue regarding thyroid health in particular as it can bind to iodine receptors and block the ability of iodine to bind and be utilized. High levels of chlorine exposure can also cause long term memory loss, impaired balance, and damage to cells. High chlorine levels in the water you use not just for drinking but for showering can be even more problematic, as it can then be inhaled and lead to respiratory issues.
Fluoridation- Initially added to city water in an attempt to reduce tooth decay, fluoride is a neurotoxin and endocrine disruptor. Fluoride can also exist in water supplies via natural local deposits. Fluoride can be problematic for thyroid health in the same way in which chlorine can, and also cause dental fluorosis, skeletal fluorosis, arthritis, bone damage, osteoporosis, muscular damage, fatigue, joint-related problems(2).
Heavy metals- When heavy metals in drinking water are mentioned, we often think of the issue in Flint, MI. heavy metals can be problematic even without being at the extreme levels that we saw in that scenario. Part of this reason is the constant exposure we have to heavy metals everywhere we go, and reducing our exposure where we can is an important way to keep overall exposure as low as possible. The World Health Organization includes several heavy metals on their list of Chemicals of Major Public Health Concern. These are lead, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic, all of which can be found in tap water. Some of these are high in tap water because of their naturally occurring levels in local regions or due to pesticide runoff- like arsenic- and some are high due to issues with the pipes the water flows through. Copper is the most common heavy metal to be high in tap water due to many homes having copper piping. Heavy metals can cause numerous issues in the body and are of particular concern in young children and the elderly.
Pharmaceuticals- Pharmaceuticals get into local water supplies by being flushed down the toilet, as well as by human excrement containing unabsorbed pharmaceuticals. Pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities can be a significant source of pharmaceuticals to the environment(3) and to drinking water. Antibiotics and pharmaceuticals are also used in the livestock industry, often entering water runoff(3). It should be clear we don’t want to be taking even small amounts of pharmaceuticals unless prescribed specifically by a physician.
Pesticides and Herbicides- Pesticides and herbicides, including insecticides, enter the drinking water supply via runoff from industrial wastewater as well as agricultural fields. Long-time exposure to even low concentration of pesticides has resulted in non-carcinogenic health risks(4). Some pesticides have had a designated Maximum Contaminant Limit (MCL) in drinking water set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), but many have not(5). The effect of combining more than one pesticide in drinking water could very possibly be more dangerous than the effects of each individual pesticide alone. There simply isn’t enough data available to draw sufficient conclusion on this topic, so filtering these out is recommended.
Nitrates- Nitrates are an extremely common contaminant in water, particularly in rural areas due to the high concentration of nitrates in fertilizers. They are also present in industrial and food processing waste, and sewage disposal systems. Even short term exposure to nitrates can be particularly dangerous for infants and unborn fetuses.
VOCs- Volatile Organic Compounds are chemicals that can vaporize into air, as well as dissolve in water. This means you can drink them, but also inhale them during a shower. MTBE is a VOC that is commonly added to gasoline and moves along with groundwater. Some VOCs will vaporize but most do not degrade in groundwater. MTBE is of particular concern as it is also not degraded by bacteria and dissolves readily into water(6). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that VOCs are present in one-fifth of the nation’s water supplies, and exposure risk is determined based on the individual constituents of the VOC compound, with each having the potential to trigger different symptoms, human health effects, or illnesses(7). Again the compounded effects of multiple VOC exposure has not been calculated. Cancer, nausea, declines in serum cholinesterase levels, allergic skin reactions, headache, dyspnea, liver and kidney damage, and CNS damage.
PFAs- Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of man-made chemicals manufactured and used in a variety of consumer products and industries throughout the world. While they are typically used in manufacturing in the US since 2019 when the largest manufacturer eliminated PFOA and PFOS, they do not breakdown easily or quickly and are still found in abundance in many water supplies in all 50 states. In 2021, the EPA announced it would begin regulating the two most notorious PFAs- PFOA and PFOS- in drinking water, but it could be years before these regulations are implemented. PFAS can negatively affect thyroid health, kidney health, cholesterol levels, and immune health, and can cause developmental issues with fetuses(8). They also likely increase the risk of cancer and can potentially reduce the effects of vaccinations(8).
City filtration systems don’t filter out all toxins
Heavy metal levels vary by geographical location
Not all home filtration systems are created equal
Check the EWG Database for your city’s water source
The Best Filters to Remove Toxins From Your Drinking Water
When it comes to home water filtration, there are a lot of options out there to choose from. A Brita Filter or the filter on your refrigerator is not going to remove any of the compounds we just discussed, so if that’s what you’re currently relying on, keep reading!
Berkey Filters have made a great name for themselves through really good marketing. Berkey Filters can be a decent option, however to remove fluoride you’d need to add the Fluoride Bundle- this doesn’t come standard on Berkey Filters. For a Berkey large enough for a family of 4, the cost would be $441. The Black Berkey plus Fluoride bundle removes viruses, bacteria, trihalomethanes, chlorine, fluoride, heavy metals except uranium and hexavalent chromium, pharmaceutical drug contaminants, and VOCs. It’s important to note that uranium and hexavalent chromium are of considerable concern in many places in the US, particularly the area of Oklahoma in which I live! This is why I personally did not opt for a Berkey, in addition to the fact that it takes up a lot of space and requires being refilled constantly from the tap. Filters need to be replaced every 2 to 5 years and cost $154 for the black filter and $70 for the fluoride filter.
Reverse Osmosis – or RO- is also an incredibly popular option, and there are a lot of brands for home water filtration using this method. Reverse Osmosis works by forcing water across a membrane that removes contaminants as well as minerals in the water, and then collects it in a holding tank. It was initially invented as a way of making sea water- salt water- drinkable. RO filtration removes nitrates, lead, pesticides, sulfates, fluoride, bacteria, pharmaceuticals, arsenic, chloride, copper, and chromium. RO doesn’t remove bacterial microorganisms; chlorine by-products are not removed unless it also includes a carbon block filter. Mineral rich water is an important part of a healthy diet regarding nutrients, particularly calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium, all of which are removed by RO filters. Most RO filters add these four minerals back to some degree, but they do not add back in the multitude of other minerals we are meant to be consuming in water. Some people claim RO water will “leach” minerals from the body, but there is no scientific evidence to support this. Unlike countertop filters, RO systems can be installed under the kitchen counter, saving a lot of space. Whole house RO systems cost anywhere from $500 to $2,800 and under counter RO filters are about $200 to $1,300. The price range depends on how much water you need run through to the holding tank at a time, and how many stages you need to properly filter your water. Filters need to be changed about once a year, and cost anywhere from $60 to $200, again depending
Pure Effect Filters- Pure Effect Filters combine the best of both the Berkey and RO filters. They can be installed under the sink or on the countertop, but the pricing difference for under the sink is fairly negligible. They can be installed yourself easily (my husband installed ours) or you can have a plumber set it up. Pure Effect has several filter options, but the top level removes micro-organisms (bacteria, viruses, parasites, and mold), heavy metals (including uranium and hexavalent chromium), fluoride, chlorine and chlorine byproducts, pharmaceutical residues, hydrogen sulfide, herbicides, pesticides, VOCs, EDCs (hormone/endocrine disruptors), THMs, HAAs, chloroform, PFAs, and radioisotopes. When we started looking for a filter for our drinking water, this one was the most comprehensive as far as removing everything I was concerned about and then some, and is a very reasonable price range at $675. Filters need to be replaced every 6-8 months, and cost $272. The filter replacement cost is admittedly higher than the other options discussed here, but I feel it’s worth the cost based on the high level of contaminant filtration while still preserving the mineral content of the water.
There are a lot of different issues to take into consideration when choosing a home water filter. Depending on where you live you may need a more or less comprehensive filter. I recommend checking the EWG Tap Water Database to decide which chemicals you should take into consideration. They analyze drinking water by zip code and provide information on the levels of different contaminants found in your local water. When looking at the EWGs analysis, it’s important that we remember the federal government’s legal limits are not health-protective. The EPA has not set a new tap water standard in almost 20 years, and some standards are more than 40 years old. The EWG also provides a map of high PFA contamination areas.