Colorful New Brita Filter Pitcher is Stylish But What About Filtering Dangerous Chemicals
It's true that the Brita filter pitcher can provide filtered water at a fraction of the cost of bottled water. However, after your eye catches the fancy pitcher designs and colorful lids of the new models, you must ultimately determine if it delivers healthy, safe and affordable water to you and your family. If not, it's time to look for alternatives that offer better performance, convenience and price.
Now, as long as you change the filters regularly and follow the instructions, having some kind of water filter product is better than none at all. The Brita filter pitcher does indeed improve the quality of the water, but the big question is how much. In our modern world, there are literally thousands of chemicals found in water supplies that can cause cancer. The list includes prescription drugs, pesticides, herbicides and many unexpected substances like sex hormones. Compared to sink and whole house filters, pitcher filters are much less effective.
Filter type
The Brita filter pitcher relies on GAC (Granular Activated Carbon) technology. Carbon is activated when it is exposed to high temperatures, which cause very small pores to form. GAC is recognized by the EPA as the best available technology for removing organic chemicals like chlorine, as well as bad tastes and odors.
Size Matters
Although activated carbon is very effective at filtering out a wide range of contaminants, the lid of the Brita pitcher is only able to contain a small amount of activated carbon. In contrast, sink water filters are able to hold more carbon and some even utilize more than one type of filter media to achieve better filtration. Compared to countertop or under sink water filters, the carbon media of Brita pitcher's has much less contact time with the water and therefore doesn't absorb chemicals as well.
Number Crunching
Now that you know why pitchers have a handicap compared to sink water filters, let's look at some percentages for Brita's popular product. The Brita filter reduces copper, chlorine and mercury. However, when it comes to filtering out extremely small contaminants, such as microbial cysts, it falls short.
Brita's user guide states that the pitcher is able to filter out 96% of copper, 96% of mercury and 95% of cadmium, under NSF (National Sanitation Foundation) / ANSI (American National Standards Institute) Standard 53 Health Effects. Chlorine and zinc were tested under NSF /ANSI Standard 42 Aesthetic Effects. "Aesthetic Effects" translates to taste and odor. They scored 96% and 66%, respectively. The problem with this narrow scope of information offered by Brita is that the actual filtration performance is limited to heavy metals.
The real story is how well are chemicals like chlorine filtered out of your tap water. According to a comparison of several water filters, which took data from the manufacturer, the Brita pitcher only removes 75% of chlorine and 93% of lead. In fact, Brita pitcher filters do not even meet the revised NSF/ANSI standard for reducing lead. Consider that fact carefully before you serve Brita filtered water to your family and friends.
Conclusion
So while Brita water pitchers come in appealing shapes like the Bella and Aqualux; and with colorful lids like the Atlantis Blue and Grand Violet; and practical sizes like the Space Saver and Slim; make sure you consider the health of your family first. The Brita filter pitcher is not designed to get out contaminants less than 1 micron in size, which includes microbial organisms such as cyst parasites (including giardia and cryptosporidium). This type of ultra-filtration requires a water filter that removes contaminants greater than 0.5 microns. Research other convenient water filter options before investing in what may be the most valuable item in your kitchen.
About the Author
Visit aquasana-shower-and-water-filters.com to learn more about Brita water filters and see an easy to understand water filter comparison.
Is it really cheaper to buy a brita pitcher, than bottled water?
We tried a pur water filter on our sink and we barely used it, just to make bottles for the baby. It only lasted maybe a month if that, so when we went to buy another filter, it was outrageous. We thought if we had to replace the filter every month then it wouldn't be cheaper, but I'm starting to reconsider, maybe buy a pitcher. Those filters are expensive too, but how long do they last? Is it really cheaper to go that route?
The pitcher filters are good for about 40 gallons of water. That would last me a lot more than a month. And then you don't have to worry about the waste of the plastic bottles from the bottled water.
Also, make sure you are getting bottled water, if that is what you buy, that isn't just out of some municipal tap - just saw an article on that today.
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