What Does Brita Not Filter Out

woman pouring water into kettle in kitchen using Brita water filter

Brita filters can help plough contaminated tap water into healthier drinking water.

Image Credit: Westend61/Westend61/GettyImages

Having clean drinking water isn't just important for the sake of slap-up gustatory modality. Contaminants commonly found in drinking water, including chemicals and organic materials, tin pose serious health risks. This is why water filtration systems, like Brita, are so popular.

Brita water filters tin can provide a way to remove contaminants from drinking h2o, ensuring the water is condom to potable.

Drinking contaminated h2o can have immediate health effects, such as nausea and dizziness. But certain contaminants are also linked with long-term furnishings, such as an increased risk of cancer, nervous system disorders and liver and kidney damage, co-ordinate to the Environmental Protection Bureau (EPA).

While the U.Due south. has one of the safest drinking h2o supplies in the earth, according to the Centers for Illness Command and Prevention (CDC), contamination can still occur.

How Do Brita Filters Piece of work?

Brita filters work past using an activated charcoal and ion commutation filtering arrangement. Although the exact filtration process Brita uses is "patented," a look at how a typical activated charcoal and ion exchange filtering system functions can give you a general idea of how the procedure works.

In this process, the pores of the activated charcoal trap larger particles, and positively charged materials in the carbon filter concenter negatively charged ions in smaller water contaminants, causing them to stick to the filter, according to h2o filter company Tapp Water. The size of the mesh screen in the filter determines its effectiveness.

The Brita company manufactures standalone filters and installed h2o filtration systems. Standalone filters include portable pitchers and dispensers. Installed water filtration systems include faucet filtration and fridge water filters.

While Brita products don't provide inherent health benefits, they may help reduce the risk of time to come health problems stemming from harm due to pollutants in h2o.

Are Brita Filters Condom?

Brita filters are constructive at removing contaminants from drinking water. Brita products are certified by the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF), which means they meet the requirements for providing condom drinking water.

Brita filters are as well certified under the Water Quality Association (WQA) Gold Seal Product Certification Program. Products with WQA's Gold Seal are noted every bit meeting or exceeding industry standards for specified contaminant reduction, structural integrity and material safety.

How effective Brita filters are depends on whether they are used properly. This means they must be used according to manufacturer's guidelines and the filters must exist replaced regularly.

Tip

No affair what brand of water filter you cull, you'll want to bank check that information technology is certified by the National Sanitation Foundation, co-ordinate to the CDC. The NSF certification shows that the product has been evaluated and approved for safety. You can take a look at the best NSF-certified h2o filters at WaterFilterData.org.

Replacing Your Brita Filter

In order for Brita products to remain effective, their filters must be replaced according to manufacturing guidelines.

Brita filters are designed to filter out impurities from your water; however, if you do not change your Brita filter at the recommended time, information technology may be less effective.

If you see tiny carbon pieces inside of your pitcher or glass, your filter may demand to exist changed.

Most h2o filters need to exist replaced later on they have filtered 40 gallons of water, which takes well-nigh two months in a typical household, according to Waterful.org. How oft you supersede the water filter will depend on other factors, including:

How much h2o y'all drinkable
What type of filtration arrangement you have
The water's overall hardness
Your water's contamination level

Brita makes different water filters, some of which require replacement more ofttimes than others. How oft you modify your Brita filter depends on the specific production you're using and how much you use it. Many plastic Brita pitchers come up equipped with an indicator that will betoken when it's fourth dimension to replace the filter.

The chart below is based on Brita's suggestions for replacing your filter; be sure to also read the manufacturer'due south guidelines and pay attending to any indicators on the products. Notation: The timeframes for replacing filters are averages for most households.

Brita Model	Filter Replacement by Gallons	Filter Replacement by Fourth dimension
Everyday Water Pitcher with Longlast+ Filter	120 gallons	Every 6 months
Grand Water Bullpen	twoscore gallons	Every two months
Cascade Stream Water Pitcher	40 gallons	Every ii months
Metro Bullpen with Longlast+ Filter	120 gallons	Every 6 months

What Does Brita Filter Out?

In that location are many types of Brita products on the marketplace, and each ane's power to filter certain materials will vary, then it's important to cheque the NSF-certification. Co-ordinate to Brita, certain systems will filter the following:

Asbestos
Benzene
Cadmium
Chlorine
Copper
Lead
Mercury
Zinc

Some people take concerns that filtering h2o volition remove fluoride, a h2o additive that promotes stiff teeth. Co-ordinate to its manufacturers, Brita retains a healthy level of fluoride in the filtered h2o.

Lead contagion is oft a primary concern when it comes to drinking tap water, according to the Lead Teaching and Abatement Pattern Group. And then, practice Brita filters remove lead?

Research has institute that Brita'south filtering systems consistently filtered 80 percent or more of both pb and copper, according to the Lead Education and Abatement Design Group. When used properly, Brita filters meet regulatory guidelines.

Both BritaFaucet Systems and Brita Longlast+ Filters assistance to reduce 99 percent of lead nowadays in tap water, according to Brita. "If your household water source contains levels of lead that are above the EPA'south maximum level, these Brita filters tin can exist used to provide y'all with safer h2o for drinking and cooking," the brand'southward website reads.

How to Cull a Water Filter

At that place are several factors to take into consideration when buying a h2o filtration system.

Information technology's of import to find out which kinds of contaminants your h2o contains before choosing a filter, according to Consumer Reports. If your main concern is taste, some models are designed specifically to improve the flavor of your Water.

If contaminants are a business organisation, withal, yous'll need to choose a model that meets your needs.

If y'all apply a public water organization, contact your supplier to inquire about water testing results. The EPA as well lists certified water testing labs past state. If you get water from a well, the CDC recommends contacting your local health department for assistance in locating an agency qualified to examination your well water. Local wellness departments can often exam well water free of charge equally well, according to the EPA.

Brita as well recommends determining water quality before purchasing a water filtration system. Once you are enlightened of the materials and chemicals in your drinking water, you will be in a better position to buy the best system for your needs.

Bonus Benefits of Water Filters

Drinking water regularly has many health benefits. H2o filters tin brand water taste better, which may make you more likely to drinkable information technology.

Water filters can also benefit the surroundings by reducing the amount of plastic bottles used and discarded. When you switch to a filtration arrangement, you can supercede up to 1,800 single-employ plastic bottles per year, according to Brita.

The brand has partnered with Terracycle, a global leader in recycling, to go along Brita products out of landfills. The programme helps people recycle Brita filters, pitchers, dispensers, bottles, faucet systems and packaging.