What applies to jugs from pharmacies or other small filters? Do they purify the water?

The filters jugs and the small filters tap fittings are devices designed to somewhat improve the taste and smell of water by reducing some of the contaminants. These filters use a small amount of activated carbon and other secondary technologies to reduce some undesirable substances from the water. Their small market is mainly due to their low cost compared to more sophisticated water purification systems. Our lack of knowledge leads us to wrong purchases at the cost of our health.

What can they remove?

Jug filters or other small filters that go in the tap are not actually made to purify the water, they just remove a little bit of odour, a little bit of chlorine and also a few percentages of other elements.

What can't they remove?

However, their limited potential is significant. They are not able to reduce or remove asbestos fibres, polycyclic aromatic carbons, iron, cysts, bacteria, pharmaceuticals, etc. This means that the more serious pollutants, such as heavy metals (e.g. lead), microbiological contaminants (bacteria and viruses), and organic chemicals, remain in the water. In other words, they offer us no protection.

Performance in real-life conditions

Real world tests on small filters on the market that have a small amount of carbon such as 20 to 30 grams show low water purification results and this is the reason why they cannot get a special international certification e.g. from NSF or WQA. They also need frequent filter change maybe even monthly which basically this increases the annual expenditure more than a modern certified technology. Finally because of the low dynamic they also have low and inefficient flow.

The role of advanced cleaning systems

For true water purity, it is necessary to use sophisticated purification systems that use multiple filtering stages such as Imperial® and with 850-1200 grams of activated charcoal that have and mefiltration pore gauge from 0,1 to 0,4 micron. These systems can remove all chemical contaminants, including heavy metals, microbiological agents and organic chemicals and provide N.S.F. certified clean, healthy filtered water.

Conclusion

The pitcher filters and small tap filters are a cheap solution to slightly improve the taste and smell of the water. However, their limited potential means that they cannot offer any protection against a wide range of pollutants present in tap water so they offer us nothing to protect our health. For those seeking truly clean and safe water, the most advanced certified purification systems such as Imperial® of Camelot® is the right choice. It is important to be properly informed and to choose the right filtration systems, thus ensuring our health and well-being.