Comparing
Water Filters - Most Common Things To Look For:
Lead‚ Volatile Organic Chemicals (VOCs)‚ Organic
Contaminants‚ and Disinfection By-Products (THMs‚
Trihalomethanes) are the most noticeable problems on
these reports. Often these toxic chemicals exceed the MCLGs
or healthful thresholds. Also, these thresholds are
relevant only to the one contaminant; if more than one
contaminant is present, the thresholds for heath risks
drop considerably.
All performance claims and pricing were
taken from the manufacturer’s literature and
certified claims.
Many models were reviewed but not included in this
comparison because of undocumented performance claims.
Some brands made exaggerated claims in their
literature and on their company web sites that did not
match the "certified claims" on the
product's "Performance Data Sheet.” Only
performance claims that have been certified by the
National Sanitation Foundation (NSF), Underwriter’s
Laboratory (UL), or the Dept. of Health were included
in our comparisons. The water treatment industry is
extremely regulated. Companies that market
undocumented products or make uncertified claims are
heavily restricted as to how and where they can sell
their products. One should beware of products that
offer different performance claims in different
states. California, Wisconsin, Iowa, and several other
states prohibit uncertified claims.
