Ensuring you have access to clean, safe drinking water is essential for your health and well-being. However, municipal water sources often contain low levels of contaminants that can accumulate over time if left untreated. An under-sink water filter is an effective solution for households looking to treat their tap water further before use.
But still many people often doubt its capability of effectively eliminating toxic contaminants and impurities. However, in this blog post, we have tried our very best to clear this doubt.
Can an undersink water filter remove harmful contaminants from tap water?
Yes, under-sink water filters are very effective at removing many common contaminants found in tap water. In just a few words – chemicals, heavy metals, sediments, and microplastics. It filters out chlorine, lead, mercury, pesticides, and other pollutants. This gives you cleaner, healthier water that’s safer for drinking and cooking.
The filtered water tastes better too. So in summary, an under-sink filter cleans out a lot of the nasty stuff that can build up in your tap water.
What Types of Contaminants Does the Under-Sink Water Filter Remove?
Below are some of the key contaminants that a quality under-sink filter is designed to reduce or remove from your water supply.
- Chlorine
Most municipal water supplies add chlorine as a disinfectant to kill microorganisms and prevent waterborne illnesses. However, long-term consumption of chlorinated water has been linked to possible health issues. Chlorine has a strong smell and taste that many people also find unpleasant.
Under-sink filters use activated carbon technology to effectively reduce chlorine levels, leaving your water with a cleaner taste and odor. The carbon absorbs chlorine molecules from the water as it passes through the filter cartridge. Removing chlorine is one of the primary functions of these convenience filters.
- Lead
Older homes still have some lead pipes or solder joints containing lead lurking in their plumbing systems. Even at low levels, lead exposure can pose health risks, especially to young children. Under-sink filters are very effective at reducing lead concentrations by using carbon block or other adsorptive technologies.
The carbon absorbs dissolved lead particles before they reach your tap. If your home was built before 1986 or you live in an area with high lead levels historically, an under-sink filter provides an affordable way to lower your exposure to this toxic heavy metal.
- Mercury
Like lead, mercury is a heavy metal with no safe exposure level. It can accumulate in the body over time and potentially damage the nervous system. While most municipal water has very low mercury, under-sink filters polishes water through carbon filtration to further reduce trace amounts. Some risk comes from natural deposits or industrial pollution leaching into water sources over decades.
By providing an extra barrier against mercury ingestion, filters act as a prudent precaution, preventing cumulative exposure through daily drinking water intake.
- Arsenic
This toxic metalloid occurs naturally in certain soils and rock formations. It can dissolve into groundwater sources in some regions. The World Health Organization has set a limit of 10 parts per billion for arsenic in drinking water due to cancer risks.
While levels in treated municipal water are typically far below this, under-sink filters are designed to reduce arsenic concentrations virtually to non-detectable amounts through adsorption onto activated carbon particles. This yields an extra margin of safety against long-term low-level exposure from drinking water.
- Cryptosporidium and Giardia
These protozoan parasites are emerging as common contaminants spread through waterborne routes. They can cause a diarrheal illness known as cryptosporidiosis or giardiasis with symptoms like abdominal cramps, nausea, and dehydration.
While municipal water treatment removes some of these pathogens through sedimentation and filtration, under-sink filters provide an additional barrier using very fine carbon filtration or reverse osmosis technology. This secondary treatment further polishes water and protects your household from cryptosporidium and giardia outbreaks that occasionally bypass centralized water systems.
- Sediment
All water sources contain some amount of sediment, which refers to tiny particles of dirt, sand, and minerals. While usually non-hazardous, excessive sediment levels can diminish water clarity and taste. It also accelerates wear on water fixtures and appliances over time.
Under-sink filters remove sediment through initial 5-micron sediment filtration stages. This physical filtration traps particles before they enter your home plumbing, extending equipment lifespan while producing cleaner, fresher-tasting water.
- Chemical contaminants
Agricultural and industrial activities involve various man-made chemicals that have the potential to contaminate waters near their point of use and waste disposal. Some of these are concerning even at low concentrations.
Advanced under-sink filters incorporate carbon block technology infused with iodide ions, which can attract and bind to a wide range of dissolved chemical contaminants like volatile organic compounds, herbicides, insecticides and other common industrial pollutants.
By providing an additional chemical removal barrier beyond municipal treatment, these filters help ensure the safety of your household’s drinking water supply.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are under-sink filters effective against bacteria and viruses?
Many undersink filters, especially the ones that uses reverse osmosis filtration are capable of effortlessly eliminating bacteria and different sort of viruses from tap water.
Is installing an undersink filter a difficult process?
Honestly, the answer to this question vary model to model. However, usually most of the systems can be easily installed by yourself. All you need to do is just follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
How much does an undersink water filter usually cost?
The answer to this question is totally dependent on the brand, features it offer, etc. However, if you are asking about average estimation, then a good filter will cost you between $50-$150.
Are undersink filters environment-friendly?
Yes, they are also environmentally friendly, as they reduce the need to purchase filtered water, which ultimately contributes to lessening plastic pollution.
Final Words
Undersink filters are the most popular type of water filtration system out there. They are quite good at removing a wide range of toxic contaminants and impurities. In this blog post, we have explained some of the major contaminants removed by these filters. Happy Drinking!