Many jug-style water filters can remove unpleasant tastes, salt, chlorine (added to the water supply for disinfection), certain pesticides, and pharmaceutical residues. Some filters can also reduce lead and copper levels, as well as help soften hard water by decreasing calcium and magnesium content.
However, it’s important to note that not all contaminants are removed by water filters. For example, they may not eliminate nitrates from agricultural runoff or small molecules like hormones, bacteria, and viruses.
Water filters vary in their ability to filter heavy metals like arsenic and mercury, as well as remove toxic chemicals such as PFAs, which are persistent in the environment and bioaccumulate in our bodies.
There is ongoing research on whether jug filters effectively remove microplastics from tap water, with one study from 2023 showing a reduction of over 75% in pet and PVC fragments. Reduce pet and PVC fragments
This article answers the question from Nicky in Norfolk: “What do water filters remove?”
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