Microplastics in humans

Does my brita remove microplastics?

Brita water filter pitchers use Granular Activated Carbon filters to reduce impurities from water, such as chlorine, taste and odor. These filters are inexpensive to manufacture and not specifically designed to remove microplastics or water contaminants like lead. Microplastics are small particles of plastic that are less than 5 millimeters in size. The size of microplastics include femto-size plastics (0.02–0.2 µm), pico-size plastics (0.2–2 µm), nano-size plastics (2–20 µm), micro-size plastics (20–200 µm), meso‑size plastics (200–2000 µm), macro-size plastics (0.2–20 cm) and mega-size plastic (20–200 cm).

Keep in mind a human hair diameter is 80 μm. These particles can come from a variety of sources, including plastic bottles and personal care products. The best way to remove microplastics from drinking water is to use a water filtration system that specifically targets microplastics. We have found no testing from Brita on the removal of microplastics from tap water.

There are several types of water filters that can effectively remove microplastics, including: Reverse Osmosis Filters: These filters use a membrane to remove particles, including microplastics, from water. These filters can be expensive to change the filters are require a plumber to put under your sink and will take up most of your under counter space.

Carbon Block Filters: These filters use thousands of layers of compressed activated carbon to adsorb particles, including microplastics, from water. These filters are generally more expensive to manufacture and filter slower than a granular activated carbon filter like Brita but with this added time, you get a lot more contaminant removal like removing microplastics from your tap water. It's important to note that not all water filters are created equal, and not all water filters that can remove microplastics are available on the market yet. It's best to check with the manufacturer to see if a filter is specifically designed to remove microplastics.

In addition, you can reduce the amount of microplastics in your drinking water by using a filtered water bottle and avoiding products that contain microbeads such as bottled water. At Epic Water Filters, we love working with American made solid carbon block and carbon fiber block filters for high levels of contaminant removal and have tested all of our filters for the removal of microplastics. See our full line of microplastic testing here.

It is important to filter tap water in the United States for several reasons: Contamination: Tap water can become contaminated with various pollutants and chemicals, such as pesticides, microplastics, lead, and bacteria. Filtering the water can remove these contaminants and make it safe to drink. Taste and odor: Tap water can have an unpleasant taste or odor due to the presence of chlorine and other chemicals used in the treatment process. Filtering the water can remove these chemicals and improve the taste and odor of the water.

Health concerns: Drinking contaminated water can lead to various health issues, such as gastrointestinal illnesses, developmental issues in children, and cancer. Filtering the water can reduce the risk of these health concerns. Microplastics: Microplastics are small particles of plastic that are less than 5 millimeters in size. These particles can come from a variety of sources, including plastic bottles and personal care products. Tap water in the US may contain microplastics, filtering tap water using carbon block or reverse osmosis filters can help remove these particles. While the water provided by US municipalities is highly regulated and "considered" safe to drink, it is always good to take extra precautions to ensure the water we drink is clean and safe. It’s important to note that only a handful of contaminants are required to be included in annual Water Quality Reports and that there are hundreds of potentially harmful unregulated contaminants that aren’t accounted for by the EPA.

microplastics in cooking water

It is important to filter your cooking water as chemicals, microplastics, heavy metals and pesticides can be infused into your food that you are preparing for you and your family. Cooking water may contain microplastics, filtering can help remove these particles. Boiling water will not remove microplastics. Additionally, using filtered water for cooking can also help prevent scaling and mineral buildup in appliances such as coffee makers and kettles, which can prolong their lifespan.

Are you ready to change the water you drink? Epic Water Filters has a wide range of American made water filtration products to fit your needs. Select the product that fits best for you and start reaping the health benefits of filtered water.