What are PFAS and how do I remove them from my water?
What are PFAS?
PFAS (per- or poly-fluorinated alkyl substances) is the name for a group of around 4,700 industrial chemicals.
These chemicals are used to make many household products such as; non-stick pans, waterproof clothing, footwear, food packaging, carpets, and furniture.
These chemical compounds are made up of chain-linked carbon and fluorine atoms, and because the carbon-fluorine bond is one of the strongest known to nature, these chemicals can take over 1,000 years to degrade in the environment.
How are we exposed to PFAS/forever chemicals?
These widespread, manmade chemicals can leach into our soil, air, and water during any stage of a products' manufacturing process and real-world usage.
People are most likely exposed to these chemicals by consuming PFAS-contaminated water or food, using products made with PFAS, or breathing air containing PFAS.
BBC study finds PFAS / Forever Chemicals safety levels in UK water are too high vs EU standards
A recent BBC study discovered PFAS levels in UK water supplies exceeded European safety levels in nearly 50% of samples taken.
In tandem with the University of Greenwich and Manchester Metropolitan University, the BBC took 45 tap water samples and lab analysis found that 25 samples did contain PFASs, and four had levels that exceeded 10ng/l.
Shockingly, almost half of the samples exceeded the European Food Standards Agency tolerable limit of 2.2ng/l.
Regrettably, the UK government does very little to maintain public data about its presence or impacts and research has found that the most common PFAS chemicals (PFOA and PFOS) have probable links to;
- high cholesterol
- ulcerative colitis
- thyroid disease
- testicular cancer
- kidney cancer
- pregnancy-induced hypertension
PFAs are also classified by the EU as Cat2, suspected human carcinogens.
How do we remove them from our water?
Because PFAS are not completely removed during the standard processes used in water treatment plants we require additional filtration in order to protect ourselves from these potentially harmful chemicals.
Information from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that activated carbon is one of the most studied treatments for removing PFAs from drinking water and that high-pressure membranes (such as nanofiltration and reverse osmosis membranes) are typically more than 90% effective at removing PFAS,
