PUR water filters, according to the fluoride meter, DO remove fluoride. Indeed, the PUR water filter pitcher reduced the fluoride level in my tap water from 0.7 parts per million to 0.0 parts per million – effectively eliminating ALL fluoride.
This is surprising, as the PUR website makes no mention of the filter’s ability to remove fluoride.
This is highly unusual, as companies typically do this when their filter is unable to filter a particular contaminant.
If you want to remove fluoride from your water, the best course of action is to decide where you want to remove it and then purchase a system that matches.
ALSO SEE: Does Brita Water Filter Remove Fluoride?
Is Pur Filter Effective at Removing Fluoride From Water?
Yes, PUR filters do remove fluoride from drinking water.
While some websites state otherwise, PUR’s website includes a contaminant comparison chart that details the contaminants that each of their primary products filters out.
As the chart indicates, fluoride is not included on that list.
Is PUR capable of filtering out fluoride? To be sure, the filters may capture some molecules, but not nearly enough to make a noticeable difference.
How Effective Are PUR Filters for Fluoride Removal?
Fluoride is not removed effectively by PUR filters. While they may remove trace amounts of it during the filtering process, the material they use is generally ineffective at trapping fluoride atoms.
The science behind it is as follows.
PUR filters are primarily composed of activated carbon, more precisely carbon derived from coconut shells.
Activated carbon has a large surface area and numerous tiny pores that are excellent at capturing and holding various molecules.
Carbon is a common filtering agent because it effectively removes a wide variety of organic compounds, waste gases, odor-causing compounds, and even chlorine.
Additionally, activated carbon enables a relatively rapid flow rate, which is necessary for your faucet and other common household uses.
Coconut-derived activated carbon is particularly advantageous due to its superior durability, low dust generation, and high purity.
Additionally, it is renewable because it is derived from plants, ensuring a consistent supply.
Regrettably, activated carbon is ineffective at absorbing fluoride in the majority of cases. While it is capable of adsorbing this particular chemical under the right conditions, PUR filters are typically not designed for this purpose.
Other Filters That Remove Fluoride
Numerous other types of filters are capable of removing fluoride from water, even though PUR filters are not. If you’re dissatisfied with the answer to the question “does PUR remove fluoride?” and discover that it does not, the following are some alternatives to consider:
Gravity Filters
Gravity filters, such as the Big Berkey, draw water downward and through a large filter into a lower storage container.
These are not fast enough to provide purified water for your entire household unless you add some additional tanks to draw from, but they are extremely effective.
Rather than filling a chamber with activated carbon, the majority of gravity filters use a single solid filter.
These filters contain microporous elements that trap objects that are too large to pass through.
The filters can have several inches of space for water to filter through, despite the fact that the majority of contaminants are caught less than the width of a piece of paper from the surface.
Filters have a range of lifespans, but some manufacturers create filters that can last decades. They’ll last even longer if you’re able to wash and reuse the filter’s surface.
One significant advantage of gravity filters is that they operate without electricity. They operate entirely on gravity, and their lower basins are capable of filtering out rainwater and other contaminated sources to provide purified water.
While the majority of modern gravity filters are made of stainless steel, ceramic alternatives are also available.
Distillers
While distillers are an extremely effective method of purifying water, they are also quite slow.
Although speeds vary, it can take several hours for a distiller to filter a single gallon of water.
Waiting hours for filtered water is not an acceptable option for routine household use. However, because distillation is so effective, the resulting water is suitable for a wide variety of medical purposes.
The majority of distilled water is at least 98 percent pure and frequently much more pure, as heavier chemicals such as fluoride do not float into the air like steam does.
However, the relatively high energy cost and slow distillation speed make this an unsuitable choice for everyday use.
On-Demand Reverse Osmosis
The majority of people associate reverse osmosis systems with home setups that purify water and then store it in tanks for future use.
However, technological advancements have resulted in the development of some countertop systems that deliver water on demand. Additionally, these do not require any special installation.
Pressure is used to force water molecules through a membrane in reverse osmosis. This membrane effectively blocks the passage of contaminants such as fluoride, ensuring that the water you receive is exceptionally clean.
While distillation produces slightly purer water, both processes produce pure water.
On-demand systems have one unique advantage: they waste very little water.
Traditional reverse osmosis systems can waste a significant amount of water in order to generate the pressure required to force water through the membrane.
On the other hand, on-demand countertop systems can reuse that water as you add new water, with only the occasional dump to remove concentrated impurities.
Fluoride-Rated Pitcher Filters
Fluoride-free water pitchers are uncommon, but they do exist. One example is the Clearly Filtered brand, which uses activated carbon (similar to PUR) but with a more effective manufacturing technique.
The company claims to remove 98 percent of fluoride and the majority of other chemicals with an efficiency of up to 99.9 percent.
Always check the manufacturer’s website before purchasing a water pitcher to assist in removing fluoride.
Certain manufacturers may claim that only certain filters remove fluoride. It is critical to understand which of their products are rated for fluoride filtering in order to obtain the desired performance.
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