What are PFAs
PFAS are man-made chemicals that have been used in industry and consumer products worldwide since the 1950s. They have been used in non-stick cookware, water-repellent clothing, stain-resistant fabrics and carpets, some cosmetics, some firefighting foams, and products that resist grease, water, and oil.
The most commonly studied PFAs are perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS). The next most commonly studied are perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA). PFOA and PFOS have been phased out of production and banned from use in the USA and in Australia, but other countries may still manufacture and use them.
During production and use, PFAs can migrate into the soil, water, and air. Most PFAs (including PFOA and PFOS) do not breakdown, so they remain in the environment. Because of their widespread use and their persistence in the environment, PFAs are found in the blood of people and animals all over the world and are present at low levels in a variety of food products and in the environment. Some PFAs can build up in people and animals with repeated exposure over time.
Many scientific articles have been published about PFAs exposure and health effects. While it is difficult to show that substances directly cause health conditions in humans, scientific studies have shown that exposure to some PFAs in the environment may be linked to harmful health effects in humans and animals. More research is needed to better understand the health effects of PFAS exposure.
New kinds of PFAs are being developed. Some of these may have properties similar to the existing PFAs, and some may be less persistent in the environment. There are very few scientific studies on new PFAs, so more research is necessary to discover whether they may be a health concern.
Tips for reducing your exposure
MadeSafe website. or preview and download a printable PDF.
Removing PFAs from our drinking water
Hydroviv PFAs filter removes:
– Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAs)* and Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOAs) including GenX**
– Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
– Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB’s)***
– Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE)****
– Mercury and Lead
– Cysts
– Pesticides
– Petroleum-based chemicals
– Chlorine and Chloramines
– Chromium 6
– Disinfection byproducts
– Endocrine disruptors*****
– and a lot more… View report…
How did the Hydroviv PFAs filter perform compared to other common water filters?
Duke University in the USA recently published an independent study of residential water filter against PFAs. The study concluded that the Hydroviv PFAs filters filtered contaminated water to be below minimum detectable levels. Most other common water filters still had detectable levels of PFAs above safe levels. Some had more than the original sample. See the full test report.
How effective are Hydroviv Water Filters in removing PFAs?
Five Hydroviv filters were tested as part of this study, four of which use currently-available active media blends. For these core formulations, the researchers tested two Under Sink Filters that connect directly to the faucet and two Refrigerator Line filters that connect to the water line that feeds the refrigerator. In all four cases, any water with PFAs present in the unfiltered samples had undetectable (below the Method Detection Limit (<MDL)) levels of PFAs after the water was filtered through a Hydroviv filter (blue text in the table below). The results here are consistent with an earlier test report that looked at PFAs removal rates. We assembled the relevant data from the more recent study for our filters in the table below.
PFAs Filter Cartridge – Courtesy of our Friends at Hydroviv
Dr Roy at Hydroviv, USA, built a team of experts dedicated to solving water quality and contamination issues. The self-confessed water nerds lend their expertise in science, policy, toxicology, and engineering to create water filters to keep your drinking water safe. Here’s how they do it:
- by analyzing millions of water quality measurements from local, county, state, federal, academic, and our own test databases,
- by cross-referencing this data with the latest toxicology thresholds (not outdated regulatory limits),
- By building a customized filter that is specifically optimized for to remove PFAs and many other chemicals from your drinking water.
The Hydroviv PFAs filter is manufactured in the USA.
The Hydroviv PFAs filter has been featured the following…
Government portal
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) – Australian information portal
Learn more from our library about PFAs and PFOAs:
* Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are synthetic organofluorine chemical compounds that have multiple fluorine atoms attached to an alkyl chain
** GenX is a trade name for a technology that is used to make high-performance fluoropolymers (e.g., some nonstick coatings) without the use of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA).
*** PCBs were once widely deployed as dielectric and coolant fluids in electrical apparatus, carbonless copy paper, and in heat transfer fluids.
**** Primarily used as a fuel additive, MTBE is blended into gasoline to increase knock resistance and reduce unwanted emissions.
***** Endocrine disruptors, sometimes also referred to as hormonally active agents, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, or endocrine-disrupting compounds are chemicals that can interfere with endocrine (or hormonal) systems.
Doing Its Job