Reduce PFAS and Forever Chemicals In Your Water
Nothing beats taking a gulp of cold, filtered water on a hot day. A filtration system allows you to enjoy this feeling any time of year, whenever you want. However, even though the water goes through a purification system, it can still have impurities. Curious if it takes away forever chemicals? This is what you should know.
What Are PFAS and Forever Chemicals?
Firstly, before getting into exactly what a filtration system removes from water, you should understand what PFAS and forever chemicals are.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, more commonly known as PFAS, are synthetic chemicals found in nearly half of all public tap water in the US. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) estimates more than 176 million people are served by systems with PFAS in water.
Because these substances are built around strong carbon-fluorine bonds, they’re resistant to water, sunlight, bacteria, and heat. For this reason, they receive the title of “forever chemicals.”
Waterproof clothing, food packaging, stain-resistant fabrics, firefighting foam, and non-stick cookware may have these substances, and the chemicals found in these items can enter the water supply. They can also enter the water supply from wastewater treatment plants, landfills, and industrial facilities. And while they go through public water system purification, it doesn’t remove all of them.
As you can imagine, if these chemicals have that strong a bond, your body will struggle to break them down and excrete them. For this reason, they can accumulate in your blood and organs. While it depends on the type of forever chemical and there are over 14,000 known PFAS compounds, they remain in your system for different lengths of time depending on their half-lives. To give you an idea, some can remain in the body for two to eight years.
More research is necessary to figure out the full effects that these chemicals can have on your body, but some of the well-known health effects include:
- Liver changes
- Decreased immune response
- Elevated cholesterol levels
- Thyroid function changes
- Increased risk of testicular and kidney cancers
- Reduced fertility
- Pregnancy complications
- Developmental issues in children, including early puberty and low birth weight
- Elevated risk of insulin resistance
Interestingly, your body does eliminate these substances, but it’s a slow process. If you’re having frequent exposure, your levels may remain elevated for extended periods. When you reduce your intake significantly, there’s less for your body to remove. This makes the process easier, quicker, and more effective.
Water Filtration Systems and Purification
Reverse osmosis (RO), which can remove up to 99 percent of contaminants from tap water, uses a membrane with microscopic pores. Using pressure, the water passes through those pores, which decreases how many contaminants pass through into your glass or pitcher. It primarily reduces salts, bacteria, viruses, various chemicals, and heavy metals.
The water first passes through carbon and sediment filters to remove rust, chlorine, dirt, and other particles. The system forces water against the semipermeable membrane, where the clean water passes through. A large amount of the contaminants will remain on the other side. Contaminants go through a drain line, while the clean water may go through one last carbon filter to ensure the water smells and tastes appealing, and more contaminants will be removed.
Why a Whole-House System Is Better Than a Pitcher or Tap Attachment
The main way you take in these chemicals is through the water you drink from the tap. Even if you’re adding a squeeze of lemon or other flavorings, the PFAS remain. Forever chemicals can also end up in your body when you prepare your food. You’ll ingest them after you wash your fruits and vegetables. Since heat doesn’t break their bond, boiling won’t help rid them from your water when you’re cooking food in the water.
While a tap attachment can reduce the unwanted substances you ingest from drinking water and food prep, and a pitcher can remove some of them from the water you drink these don’t filter the water coming from your shower.
Research is mixed, but some studies show that higher levels of forever chemical exposure on the skin can increase a person’s risk of eczema, especially in children. The study results have shown conflicting information, so a relationship hasn’t been established.
These chemicals could delay wound healing. Both laboratory research and animal studies have shown that forever chemicals may interfere with the body’s normal healing process.
Researchers have been investigating the effects PFAS have on the immune system and inflammatory skin conditions. They’re also still researching whether forever chemicals affect skin health.
Overall, though, these chemicals don’t absorb through intact skin in large amounts. But if you’re concerned, a whole-house system can decrease exposure.
You’ll have filtered water through every spigot and showerhead in your home. You don’t have to worry about using the water in your pitcher to boil noodles, nor will you need to worry about installing multiple tap filtration systems. And you won’t have to worry about switching between filtering the water and running it normally. The tap attachment filtration system can often run much more slowly. With the filtration system, the water always comes out filtered.
Although it’s not directly related to these compounds, a whole-house system will help protect your washer, dishwasher, hot water heater, and pipes from sediment. This is a huge plus if you’re considering a whole-house system for harmful chemicals specifically or just in general.
Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, known as The Punctual Plumber, lets residents in Melbourne, FL, and the surrounding areas benefit from filtered water throughout their entire homes. We use a five-stage reverse osmosis process, which reduces these substances considerably. One of the main advantages is that it can help protect the health of you and your family over time.
Contact us today at (321) 314-9272 to schedule an appointment for a quote and answers to all your questions. We’re proud to offer prompt service and believe our customers shouldn’t have to wait. We like to stress that if there’s any delay, it’s YOU we pay.
