Anyone know if reverse-osmosis home systems can eliminate PFAS?

[Hoochin'Fool]

My hometown is just a few miles downstream from one of 3M's Minnesota plants, and local news just said our town's water supply has "too much" PFAs in it per new EPA rules.

Does anyone know if a home RO system can mitigate this chemical?

 

[day_trippr]

Yes, one or two Activated Carbon filters followed by a Reverse Osmosis membrane is probably one of the few effective methods.
This page was inspired by PFAS water problems in Minnesota...

https://www.health.state.mn.us/comm...arbon or,regular maintenance to work properly.

Do you have access to legit water reports?

Cheers!

 

[bstacy1974]

Activated carbon and RO are the best technologies that remove PFAS effectively. Activated carbon needs time to remove the chemicals. It's a function of how fast the water is passing through the filter. The longer the water is in contact with the carbon, the better. RO will separate the chemicals from the water and send them to waste. If you combine the two technologies, as day_trippr pointed out, you get the best of both.
The well at my previous house was contaminated with PFAS from the local airport. (I've since moved.). Water tests showed over 400 parts per trillion in my untreated water. The new epa standard is 4 ppt. Luckily , I had an RO system we used for all our drinking and cooking needs for years. Unfortunately, I never tested the RO water as the test is expensive.
My career is in the water utility business and things are going to get crazy across the country due to this new standard. There's going to be a lot of panic, but the best action is to invest in technology for yourself and family until the local utilities can correct any issues with their water supply.

 

[Hoochin'Fool]

Do you have access to legit water reports?

I emailed our city's public-works director, asking if there was a way to know by address, which well the tap water was coming from. This was the reply:

 

[day_trippr]

The conservative approach is assume the worst of those numbers could come through your feed line.
Might consider getting an opinion on the best mitigation approach from HBT member Russ @Buckeye_Hydro as there are actually a few other methods of breaking down and/or removing PFAS molecules. For examples:

1. Activated Carbon Filtration: This is one of the most common methods used to remove PFAS from water. Activated carbon effectively adsorbs PFAS molecules, trapping them within the carbon pores.
2. Ion Exchange Resins: Ion exchange resins can selectively remove PFAS from water by exchanging chloride or other ions for PFAS ions in the water.
3. Reverse Osmosis: Reverse osmosis systems force water through a semi-permeable membrane, effectively filtering out contaminants including PFAS.
4. Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs): AOPs involve the use of powerful oxidants like ozone or UV light to break down PFAS molecules into less harmful substances.
5. Biological Treatment: Some studies have explored the use of biological methods, such as microbial degradation, to break down PFAS compounds.
6. Electrocoagulation: This process involves the use of an electrical current to destabilize and precipitate contaminants, including PFAS, for subsequent removal.

Maintenance of the methodology(ies) used will also be key...

Cheers!

 

[Hoochin'Fool]

One bit of good news: My beer-making boils only lose 15%, so "concentrating the PFAS" by boiling is just a rounding error, when they were at 20 parts per TRILLION...

 

[bstacy1974]

The table appears to be a quarterly running annual average. I haven't had time to dig into the new rule, but I haven't seen that compliance will be determined by a QRAA. It's pretty much 4ppt in any given sample from what I've seen.
I'm not going to bore you with a bunch of water jargon. My wife always tells people if you want to talk to my husband ask about water or beer. So my advice would be to research PFAS to make sure you understand what these chemicals are and what the potential health effects can be so you can make informed decisions. Just don't panic.

 

[Hoochin'Fool]

It's pretty much 4ppt in any given sample from what I've seen.

Interesting!

I'm not going to bore you with a bunch of water jargon.

At the risk of making you feel obligated to post a mini-article that would probably go right over my and everyone else's head, I think many people (you did say PFAS were EVERYWHERE at this point) on this forum would appreciate some informed info from an actual expert in the field!

My wife always tells people if you want to talk to my husband ask about water or beer. So my advice would be to research PFAS to make sure you understand what these chemicals are and what the potential health effects can be so you can make informed decisions. Just don't panic.

Not panicking, cuz I'm old. Concerned for our adult children tho who grew up drinking this town's tapwater. I did see google mention a link between PFAS and liver damage, so if my doc says anything about liver-enzyme levels at my next exam, I know what I'm going to blame

 

[sibelman]

My water reports don't even mention this class of pollutants. They have some forward-looking language about how they're gonna get into this any time now.

 

[bstacy1974]

Interesting!


At the risk of making you feel obligated to post a mini-article that would probably go right over my and everyone else's head, I think many people (you did say PFAS were EVERYWHERE at this point) on this forum would appreciate some informed info from an actual expert in the field!


Not panicking, cuz I'm old. Concerned for our adult children tho who grew up drinking this town's tapwater. I did see google mention a link between PFAS and liver damage, so if my doc says anything about liver-enzyme levels at my next exam, I know what I'm going to blame

I appreciate the compliment but I'm just someone who has to deal with these regulations in my work. I've tried to listen and read as much if the research as possible. But as most research goes, some link PFAS to health issues. Other research does not.
As far as treatment goes, as I said before, at the home level the best options are a whole house charcoal filter and a point of use RO system, like the under the sink models.
The key to any filtration technology is maintenance. You have to regularly replace charcoal and sediment filters as well as the membranes in the RO units.
Lastly, engage with your local water utility and city leaders if you're on a treated municipal water source. Trust me, they don't want this stuff in the water either. These chemicals are not the result of anything the utility has put in the water. It's usually a contamination of the environment type event. Be patient and understand that solutions may take time.

 

[BrewZer]

Some cities are aware of the issues and are trying to take steps to comply with the new EPA standard. For example, Dayton, Ohio is planning a facility to scrub water from wells with detected PFAS contamination in the next few years.