I remember moving to San Diego for Naturopathic Medical school, and people freaking out about water quality. I was just in the very start of my journey of non-toxic living, and I didn’t get all the fuss. I had been drinking tap water for years without really thinking much of it. I thought fancy filters were just for those that were bothered by taste. Boy was I wrong. So today we’re talking about how to pick the best water filter for your home.
Water Quality Matters
Our tap water is one of the main sources of toxic contamination. Within my practice, I frequently run heavy metal panels and environmental toxicity panels, and I’m amazed with the difference between the results from those who filter their water and those that don’t.
Water quality varies from location to location, but tap water across the country is NOT meeting EPA standards. I highly recommend that everyone use a quality filter for their tap water, but especially those who are looking to get pregnant, are currently pregnant, have children, or struggling with chronic disease.
Things you want to filter out:
Volatile Organic Chemicals (VOCS):
are found in chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides, paints, wood preservatives, aerosol sprays, dry-cleaning solutions, and household cleaners. They have both acute and long-term risk, including damage to the kidney, liver, and central nervous system
Heavy Metals:
Many heavy are naturally occurring and common in the water supply. They are known toxins when they accumulate within our tissues after repeated exposure, such as daily consumption through drinking water. Metals within our water supply include mercury, lead, cadmium, arsenic, nickel, and more! Similar to VOC’s, heavy metals are known
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Fluoride:
Fluoride in our water supply is quite controversial in the general public, but not when it comes to the research. There is an overwhelming amount of evidence that supports the dangers of fluoride intake and no solid evidence that supports that the ingestion of fluoride prevents cavities, actually quite the opposite. Fluoride ingestion (not topical use) in childhood has been shown to weaken the enamel, causing increased risk of dental pitting, or greyish or brownish coloring to the teeth. Additionally, fluoride is a known neurotoxin shown to impair IQ, can impair thyroid function and bone development, and has been shown to deposit in the pineal gland rendering it ineffective overtime (this gland is responsible for melatonin production).
Bacteria:
Our water is not as clean as you may think. Joan B RoseHomer, a water microbiologist from Michigan State University, reports the following: “There are an estimated 19 million waterborne illnesses per year due to contamination of drinking water systems in the US, with 5.4 million illnesses from groundwater and 13 million illnesses from surface water systems”
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals:
Our water is one of the most common ways our society comes in contact with endocrine disrupting chemicals. Medications like hormonal birth control and chemicals such as phthalates and BPA are passing through municipal water treatment systems and ending up in our water supply. These chemicals can contribute to infertility, malformations in offspring, hormonal dysregulation, cancer, immune system dysregulation, and more!
Contaminants in your area:
Depending on where you live, you may need to consider a filter that covers the particular contaminants that are in high levels in your area. EWG.org has put together a tremendous resource for you to search for the contaminants that are high in YOUR tap water. I highly recommend cross-checking your filter of choice with those contaminants that come up high.
MAIN TYPES OF FILTRATION SYSTEMS:
Carbon:
Activated carbon binds and removes contaminants as water passes through the filter. Carbon filters come in two main forms, a carbon block and granulated activated carbon. In general, carbon block filters are more effective than granulated activated carbon, though the efficacy of carbon filters in general varies greatly filter to filter. The top rated carbon filters remove contaminants such as VOCS, most heavy metals, bacteria, and many of the endocrine disrupting chemicals. However, they do not remove fluoride, nitrates, and perchlorate. One of the benefits to carbon filters is that many of the natural minerals within the water remain after filtration.
Reverse Osmosis:
Reverse osmosis filters water filters tap water through a membrane which blocks the passage of any particles larger than water molecules. Reverse osmosis is extremely effective at removing most contaminants, including those that carbon filters do not remove.. For this reason, reverse osmosis is generally considered the gold standard in water filtration. Unfortunately, reverse osmosis does not remove VOCs or chlorine. For this reason, many RO systems contain carbon filter additions to remove the remaining contaminants. There are two main downfalls to reverse osmosis:
It wastes a lot of water- on average, it uses 5x more water than produced
It removes all of the naturally occurring minerals, so minerals must be replaced.
MY CHOICE FOR WATER FILTERS UNDER $300
My Choice for Carbon Filter:
The Big Berkey Water filter is the most reputable carbon water filter on the market. In order to remove the fluoride, you MUST get the additional fluoride filters. To find the whole list of removed contaminants, click HERE.
**No installation required. It is a table top filter that you can
My Choice for RO
Under Sink:
Aqua Sauna OPTIMH20 Reverse Osomosis + Claryum water filter is my choice for RO filter. NOT only does it filter through reverse osmosis, but it also contains two types of carbon filters and does additional ion exchange to remove VOCs. It also has a remineralizing phase!
** It will require a plumber to install this unit under your sink.
Counter Top:
APEC Water Systems RO-CTOP-C is my choice for a countertop RO water filter. This unit is easy to install and is very efficient- only two gallons are waisted during flushing, rather than the 4 gallons of other systems! You will need to remineralize your water, and this does not filter out VOCs.
** This is a great unit for those wanting the crip RO taste without the hassle of installation.
