I searched for the best water purification technique available primarily because I was shocked at the state of our drinking water and I couldn't just go on blindly dumping chemicals into my body. My criterion was to remove all added chemicals from my drinking water including Fluoride and as an Engineer with a scientific background I needed scientific backing.
Note: The usage of Fluoride in our water systems is controversial, but Ninety-seven percent of western Europe has eliminated fluoride from drinking water. goggle "Fluorosis" and "fluoride side effects", read the article on "about dot com" on "fluoride removal". Read the article on "livestrong dot com" on "side effects of fluoride ingestion". I quote, "Fluoride ingestion has been associated with adverse health effects such as IQ deficits in children, depression, weight gain and heart disease. The "Journal of Applied Clinical Pediatrics" reports that "high fluoride intake has a damaging effect on intellectual ability," and human studies from China, India, Iran and Mexico found that elevated levels of fluoride in children resulted in reduced performance and impaired development of intelligence. The U.S. National Research Council has also found that fluoride affects normal endocrine function, which may contribute to hypothyroidism, or reduced activity of the thyroid gland. Hypothyroidism can lead to fatigue, depression, weight gain, hair loss, muscle pains and heart disease.
I started off with on a friends recommendation the Nikken Pi-Mag which i soon rejected because they independent lab results were not available, fluorine was not removed from the water and I could not trust a MLM companies claims' that were not scientifically verifiable.
I looked at Aquasana and Multipure's product line but I became obvious that the life expectancy was about a year and I would deal with leaks, and defective housing. The reviews for the New Wave were 10Stage Filter were promising on amazon and I bought it right away, but soon grew suspicious of their claims as there were no results posted on their website either. I called New Wave customer service which I must add was great and friendly and asked for the independent lab results, which they emailed. After analyzing the results I was disappointed to see that a company that makes water filters provided results from a lab called, Truesdale lab but back in 1995 (15yrs ago!). Surely they can get this tested recently since both regulations and water quality have changed since then and made this readily available to their customers via their website. Anyway the results they provided showed that it was tested for Cyst Removal (based on the 1988 NSF standard), Lead, Choloform and Lindane removal. Fluorine was not removed which for me was not good enough.
I returned the New Wave Environ and finally found the Berkey filter system which has an additinal fluoride filter as well. Although more expensive (about 250 inclusive of a set of flouride filters), the Berkey filters would be cheaper in the long run as they last between 3,400 gallons to 19,500 gallons depending on water quality, unlike the New Wave Filter's 1500 gallons. Furthermore I liked openness and readily accessible lab results by independent labs such as the University of Arizona, LSU and Spectrum labs (google Berkey lab results). Furthermore they are used by emergency organizations like the Redcross and Unicef.
I must add that there is no perfect system, the fluoride filters usually use an activated alumina filter media and Aluminia has been associated with Alzheimers. I was concerned about any aluminum dust residue left in the water and a little more research revealed the residue to me negligible.
Here is a comparison:
Water boiled in an Aluminium pan for 5mins had: 2.791 ppm aluminum
Colgate toothpaste: 52.878 ppm aluminum.
The Berkey flouride filter after 10 cycles had .037 ppm aluminum and after 20 Cycles: .029 ppm aluminum which in my opinion was negligible and safe.
I hope this helps you and saves you time!
I purchased this filter about 3 months ago, so writing on 3 months of continual use.
I live in Sofia, Bulgaria, and the city water's a bit dodgy. For example: If you leave for a few days and come back, lot's of rusty colored brown water which pours out for the first minute or so of running the tap.
PROS:
Overall, I *love* the water filter:
It's easy to set up,
The water seems to come out pretty clean/tasty. I've been using various Brita filters in the past, and I prefer this one by far. It could be psychosomatic, just *thinking* that it's a bigger & beefier filter, but...
It's also convenient, no frequent filter changes and it takes up very little counter space. I also didn't like having to always remember to frequently change the Brita filters.
CONS:
The only downside is that the auto turn-off feature is a bit sketchy. Mine stopped working after 1 week. There's a small metal valve on the faucet that you pull out to get the water re-routed to the filter. When you turn off the faucet, this valve is supposed to automatically pop back into place (into the off position). The thing broke very fast (1 week, as mentioned), which is disappointing. Now, when the water faucet is turned off, I have to remember to manually push the valve back to the "off" position. There's a warning in the instructions that you shouldn't push it back into the "off" position when the water is still running (which I didn't do, but it still broke). However, now i just have to be mindful to push it back in when I'm finished using it. Not a big deal, but something to think about.
I'd give her 5 stars if the build quality of the valve was better!
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Update: I've been using the filter for over a year now (I'm on my second filter change), and it's still fantastic. I fill up 1.5 litre bottles every day to take to work (rather than waste buying plastic bottles), and it's great! Tastes good, and environmentally friendly! I changed my previous filter after the recommended 1 year, and the filter change went easy. Great product! - Water - Water Filter - Countertop Water Filters - Filter'
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