PFAS chemicals can’t be taken out of water by boiling it, but there are other ways to do it. We recommend putting a reverse osmosis system under your sink for home use.
The Rhode Island Department of Health says that boiling water won’t get rid of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). Doing so will just make the chemicals stronger, which makes them even more dangerous to eat. This is because PFAS can’t be broken down by heat. You can, however, take steps to reduce your risk of exposure that will work. Some of these ways are:
Choosing bottled water: To lower your risk of being exposed, it is best to use bottled water and other certified filtration systems that have been approved by the FDA. The water is tested for PFAS and other chemicals, and the chemicals are taken out of the water using approved treatment methods.
Think about using water from other, safer sources. For brushing your teeth, cooking, and other things that could lead to drinking water, use water from another, safer source.
By using a recipe that doesn’t need water: For babies who are fed formula, don’t put any water in their food that could be dirty. This is also true for ready-to-eat foods that need water.
Because boiling water doesn’t get rid of PFAS, we listed a few ways that have been shown to work to lower levels of PFAS that are dangerous.
There are ways to get rid of PFAS from drinking water.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency says that there aren’t many ways to get rid of PFAS from drinking water in water treatment facilities, buildings, and places where water is used, such as the kitchen or bathroom (EPA). Among them are:
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Reverse Osmosis
This is one of the best and most popular ways to filter water inside your home. This technology works by forcing water through a filtering membrane with the help of high pressure. The membrane lets only certain atoms and molecules pass through, so it acts as a filter and gets rid of all the other contaminants.
The EPA says that reverse osmosis and other high-pressure membranes can reduce the amount of PFAS in water by about 90%.
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Treatment with Activated Carbon
Most research has been done on this method for removing PFAS from drinking water. It is also popular because it is easy to find on the market in bottles and pitchers that can be used again and again. It works well to clean water of sediment, smell, chlorine, and volatile organic compounds.
The EPA says that activated carbon treatment works by removing harmful chemicals and other contaminants from drinking water using a bed of activated carbon and a process called adsorption.
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The Ion Exchange Treatment Method
In an ion exchange treatment, the negatively charged PFAS are drawn to the positively charged anion resin, which acts like a magnet to pull contaminants out of the water. Reusable water bottles with ion exchange treatment are also easy to find and buy.
How do I know if PFAS are in the water I drink?
You can test your water to see if it has PFAS, which is a good thing. You can test your drinking water with a variety of test kits that you can make yourself. Read my article to find out how to test your water for PFAS in detail.
SimpleLab Tap Score PFAS Test Kit
With the SimpleLab at-home kit, you can now test for 14 different types of PFAS. It’s simple and comes with everything you need. They give you a full report that explains what the results mean and whether or not you should worry about the health of your family.
What should I do if my drinking water has PFAS?
If you find out that the water you drink has PFAS in it, you should take steps to protect yourself and your family. The most important thing is to stop drinking dirty water and find a clean source of water.
DO NOT boil tap water. When you boil water, the chemicals in it will become more concentrated.
You can lower your risk of being exposed to these pollutants if you drink water from a bottle or another pure source.
Find a safe source of water to drink, make food, and cook with. Use this clean water to brush your teeth and for anything else that could lead to you drinking water.
If you feed your baby formula, try to find an alternative that doesn’t need water.
Water from a bottle or a filter can also be used to make baby formula. If you find PFAS in your tap water, you will need to find a different source of clean water for your baby’s bottle.
People should try to avoid drinking contaminated water as much as possible, especially if they are weak. This includes babies, women who are pregnant or nursing, and older people.
How to Check for PFAS in Tap Water
In December 2019, the EPA gave government-approved tests for PFAS in water to both government and private labs. The labs on the EPA’s list can test water samples to see if they contain too much PFAS to be dangerous.
Using tap water to do the laundry and the dishes
If you use tap water to wash your dishes or do your laundry, you won’t get sick.
Why PFAS end up in the water?
PFAs are present in the environment at low levels. They can be found in the soil and water. When products that contain PFAS come into contact with the ground or surface water, the chemicals move into the groundwater and contaminate the water sources that come into our homes. Because PFAS are hard to break down, they can stay in the water and in our bodies.
How Much PFAS Can You Drink Without Getting Sick?
There are no national rules about PFAS in drinking water. Because of this, it’s hard to know how much PFAS you can safely eat.
The EPA has recommended a level of 70 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS (ppt). This level is based on a lifetime of drinking water that has PFAS in it.
Some people who study health say that there is no safe level of PFAS in drinking water. They say that 1 part per trillion should be the standard for drinking water.
ALSO SEE: Clearly Filtered Water Pitcher Review
FAQs
Is it safe to drink boiled water that has PFAS in it?
No, drinking the water will make you more likely to be exposed to dangerous chemicals that can cause cancer and other serious health problems. Boiling doesn’t get rid of these dangerous chemicals from the water supply.
You can only be sure that the water you drink is clean and pure if you use a good water filter. Even boiling your water won’t get rid of the lead.
How should PFAS be taken out of drinking water?
Only a high-quality filtration system that uses reverse osmosis or activated carbon can get rid of these contaminants. In these systems, harmful pollutants are caught by special filters and membranes and taken out of the water.
A reverse osmosis system is the best way to get rid of PFAS from drinking water. This kind of system works very well and can get rid of PFAS to the point where they can’t be found.
Taking Legal Action
If you got hurt because of PFAS and you think the whole thing could have been avoided if the person responsible hadn’t been careless, you may have a good reason to go to court.