Can Pfas Be Filtered Out Of Water

Water TECH

A PSA on PFAS: What are they and how can you lot filter them from your drinking water?

October 21, 21 | Written past: Tara Lundy

What do a microwave popcorn bag, a nonstick pan and nail polish all have in mutual? These products frequently comprise chemicals known equally per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, ofttimes referred to as "forever chemicals" that are severely threatening public health and h2o sources around the earth.

They've also attracted recent media attention: in October 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a PFAS Strategic Roadmap "to face PFAS contamination nationwide."

What are PFAS?

PFAS are a group of man-made chemicals that cause adverse human being health furnishings and contaminate water supplies. To make matters worse, PFAS are stubborn chemicals; rather than degrading, they accumulate within the environment over time. PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) and PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate) are the two about commonly produced PFAS worldwide (1).

Considering of their unique ability to repel oil and water, PFOA and PFOS have been used widely in the manufacturing of many industrial and consumer products such as fire-fighting foams, stain repellents, nonstick cookware, waterproof clothing and shoes, fast food wrappers, personal care products, and many other consumer appurtenances (v, 8).

These chemicals became prevalent in the 1950s when industries started offering more advanced products like stainless steel pots or water repellent jackets (ix). As nosotros developed a culture of speed and "to get" meals, takeout containers were also made with PFAS to avoid sticking properties (8). Many of these containers still comprise PFAS currently.

Presence and Bear upon

The manufacturing and use of products that contain PFOS and PFOA crusade continuous release of these chemicals into the environs and as a issue, they take been plant to be widely distributed across all trophic levels. They are institute in soil, air, surface water, groundwater and drinking water wells at sites across the United States (three).

A map of PFAS contamination in the United States. Updated in 2018 by the Environmental Working Group.

As of March 2019, at least 610 locations in 43 states are known to be contaminated (2) and more than 1,500 drinking water systems across the U.Southward. may be contaminated with PFOA and PFOS, and like chemicals (4).

Most consumers have been exposed to PFAS, although their presence is slowly decreasing as manufacturers shift abroad from using these chemicals (ane). However, people living near or working at facilities that produce PFAS have college blood serum concentrations of PFOS and PFOA compared to the full general population. They have an increased exposure to these chemicals through their drinking water or by inhaling soils and dust surrounding the facility (3). PFOA and PFOS brand their way into public h2o supplies, especially in areas virtually these manufacturing plants.

Exposure to PFOA and PFOS may upshot in negative health effects. Some identified by the EPA include the following: (one, ii)

Developmental furnishings to fetuses during pregnancy or to breastfed infants (low nascency weight, accelerated puberty, skeletal variations)
Testicular or kidney cancer
Liver damage
Immune effects (antibody product and amnesty)
Thyroid and cholesterol changes

Water filtration technologies that remove PFAS

In general, PFOS and PFOA resist well-nigh conventional chemic and microbial treatment technologies. The strongest proven technologies to filter PFAS out of drinking water include granular activated carbon absorption, ion exchange resins and reverse osmosis (1, 3).

The LifeStraw Home Pitcher is ane of the near effective products to combat PFAS; its dual filtration engineering science combines membrane microfiltration with activated carbon and advanced ion exchange applied science to remove PFOA and PFOS from h2o.

The EPA has established water advisories for the combined concentration of PFOS and PFOA to exist .07 micrograms per liter. According to examination results in an independent, accredited lab in the U.South., LifeStraw Domicile exceeds the NSF International P473 standard for reducing PFOA and PFOS. Lab results evidence consistent removal to below 0.01 micrograms per liter, significantly less than the EPA threshold.

PFOA and PFOS Water Filter Data

REFERENCES

Fact sheet PFOA & PFOS drinking water Health Advisories. EPA 800-F-sixteen-003. USEPA, November 2016. https://world wide web.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/drinking-h2o-wellness-advisories-pfoa-and-pfos
Monica Amarelo. Mapping the PFAS Contamination Crisis: New Data Show 610 Sites in 43 States. Environmental working group (EWG). half dozen May 2019. https://www.ewg.org/release/mapping-pfas-contamination-crisis-new-data-testify-610-sites-43-states
Technical fact canvass - PFOS and PFOA. EPA 505-F-17-001. USEPA, Nov 2017
David Andrew. Written report: upwardly to 110 1000000 Americans could have PFAS-contaminated drinking water. Environmental working group (EWG), 22 May 2018. https://www.ewg.org/research/report-110-million-americans-could-take-pfas-contaminated-drinking-water#.WxALu2nwazd
PFAS in drinking h2o. Michigan department of health and human services, 2/2019. https://www.michigan.gov/documents/pfasresponse/PFAS_in_Drinking_Water_624844_7.pdf
PFOA/PFOS in drinking water. NSF website. http://www.nsf.org/consumer-resources/h2o-quality/drinking-water/perfluorooctanoic-acid-and-perfluorooctanesulfonic-acid-in-drinking-water
Exam Report -LS Home Pitcher. IAPMO R&T LAB, 6 May 2019.
Take out Toxics: PFAS Chemical in Food Packaging https://saferchemicals.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/saferchemicals.org_take_out_toxics_pfas_chemicals_in_food_packaging.pdf?x15132
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) https://world wide web.fda.gov/food/chemicals/and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas
How can I be exposed to PFAS? https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/pfas/pfas-exposure.html