Don't buy a kitchen faucet filter without doing a little research. If you shop for price alone, you might end up buying a kitchen faucet with filter that does little or nothing to protect your family's health.
That's not to say that the most expensive kitchen faucet filter is the right choice. Ever-pure makes a kitchen faucet with filter that is highly effective, but because of the inclusion of a reverse osmosis step, the cost is nearly $800.
Reverse osmosis or RO is older technology. The only purification method that's older is distillation. When the systems were designed, the common chemical contaminants that are threatening our health were not a problem. Thus, neither method removes chemical contaminants.
In most cases, performance data for RO units does not specify the amount of reduction provided by the product. Ever-pure does say that their under the counter kitchen faucet with filter reduces lead to the "Federal Action Level". If the lead level in your home is above the federal action level, you need ion exchange. That step removes more than 99% of lead and copper, exchanging them for good tasting and healthy electrolytes, primarily sodium and potassium.
In most modern homes, lead content is below the federal action level, so a unit that does not further reduce it is of no benefit. The EPA "goal" is "zero" for lead. It's just that most facilities cannot achieve that goal.
At the other end of the price scale is the Brita kitchen faucet filter. At $34.95, the price is enticing, but the brand does not remove THMs, VOCs or MTBE. THM exposure has been the subject of numerous scientific studies this year, because exposure increases a person's risk of cancer. Some studies say that people exposed to THMs are twice as likely to have bladder cancer. Others say that there is a 40% higher incidence of colorectal cancer. A Canadian study estimates that there are 800 new cancer-cases each year, caused by THM exposure.
So, obviously you want a kitchen faucet with filter that removes THMs, but what about VOCs. Any system that removes THMs will also remove VOCs. Most of them are not carcinogens, although consumption can damage the function of your thyroid gland, causing metabolic disorders and growth problems in children.
Most people don't need a kitchen faucet filter that removes MTBE. But, if your tap water tastes really unpleasant, that could be the problem. It is probably not a carcinogen, but who wants to drink gasoline additives.
It is more commonly found in groundwater than surface water. So, if your source is a river, MTBE is probably not a problem. However, rivers have a high bacterial count that requires the use of several disinfection methods. THMs are byproducts of public disinfection methods. If you need a kitchen faucet with filter for chlorine removal, then you should also have one with certified THM-removal.
The best kitchen faucet filter costs less than $125 and sometimes even less. My favorite company also sells showerhead filters, another good idea.
If you're scared to death of the drugs found in drinking water , we compare the various water filter systems at http://www.best-water-filter-guide.com and show you which ones have been scientifically proven to remove the highest amounts of contaminants
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