[Pharmwaste] Filter the options to clear chemicals from tap water

Tue Apr 15 09:06:32 EDT 2008

http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_8844050?source=email

Filter the options to clear chemicals from tap water

By Douglas Brown
The Denver Post

Article Last Updated: 04/09/2008 10:32:47 AM MDT

What's in your water? 

Hydrogen, for sure. 

Oxygen? Check. 

Howsabout a little lithium? 

Huh? 

If you haven't encountered the story, the Associated Press last month
reported that trace amounts of multiple pharmaceuticals are found in
city water systems around the country, including Denver. 

Can home filtration devices strip the pharmaceuticals out of the water
before you begin gulping? 

It's uncertain. More on that later. 

There isn't much that municipal water utilities can do, either, at least
for now, to rid water of the thousands of pharmaceutical compounds that
might infiltrate their water-delivery networks. 

The federal government must "decide which (compounds) are the most
harmful and which ones we can easily identify as being removable with
current technology," says Tom Williams, an editor with Water Technology,
an industry trade magazine. "It's a tough issue for everyone involved." 

Among other things, there are no guidelines from the federal government
telling utilities which compounds should be tested for, and at what
concentrations the compounds become a problem, says Greg Kail, a
spokesman for the American Water Works Association, which is based in
Denver. 

Scientists have researched the matter for years, Kail says, and so far,
studies have "not been able to demonstrate any human health impacts at
the low levels these (compounds) are being found." 

More research needed 

Still, the lack of scientific evidence doesn't mean everything is A-OK
on the "there's-Viagra-in-my-water" front. It's important that the
government and researchers begin investigating intersections of these
compounds and drinking water much more thoroughly, says Karl Linden, an
engineering professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder. 

"It's definitely a problem, because somewhere along the line we are not
removing these (compounds)," says Linden. "Whether it's an ecological or
human health problem, that is unclear." 

So there are mysterious things in the water, and your utility isn't sure
if it can remove them before you hold your glass beneath the tap. You
find this troubling. You've seen the water-filtration devices in Costco
and Target, on TV and in newspaper ads. And you're thinking: I need one
of them. 

First, the letdowns. While it's possible, maybe even likely, that some
of the home water-filtration devices will remove pharmaceutical
compounds, there is not yet evidence proving it. Also, it's unlikely
that one device or even a combination of them will reduce or eliminate
every pharmaceutical compound that makes its way to your tap. There are
tens of thousands of pharmaceutical compounds, and most of them have
entree to public water systems through waste treatment. 

Filter it yourself 

But that doesn't mean there's nothing you can do. 

The folks at the Water Quality Association, the trade association
representing the water-filter industry, say it's inevitable that some
filters will dispatch a measure of the pharmaceutical compounds in
drinking water. 

"The best advice I could give people is use a reverse- osmosis device
with activated carbon. You would definitely get a lot of pharmaceuticals
out with that technology," says Joseph Harrison, technical director for
the association. "We just don't know for sure which ones will be taken
out and how completely without testing for it." 

Right now, he says, his association is working with NSF International, a
nonprofit organization that sets standards for a variety of consumer
products, including water filters, to establish pharmaceutical standards
for filtration systems. 

Rick Andrew, the operations manager for NSF's water treatment program,
says his organization has certified more than 3,000 water-filtration
systems, although most fall within several broad technological
categories: carbon filtration, reverse osmosis, water softeners,
distillation and ultraviolet. 

As far as Harrison's endorsement of reverse osmosis, Andrew says the
technology could work to ferret out pharmaceuticals from drinking water,
but it's too early to tell. 

Reverse osmosis does a fine job of eliminating heavy metals and
dissolved solids, among other things, from water. 

Of the other technologies, according to Andrew: Carbon filtration is
known for its ability to improve taste by eliminating volatile organic
chemicals like chlorine; softeners take out the calcium and magnesium,
and replace it with sodium; distillation vaporizes the water and then
recondenses it, in the process leaving many contaminants behind,
including dissolved solids, ionic compounds and some organic
contaminants; and ultraviolet technology is excellent for disinfecting
water. 

One of the more popular solutions, the pitcher-style of filter, uses a
combination of activated carbon and ion exchange resin that can be
effective at filtering a wide range of contaminants, including chlorine,
organics such as solvents and even pesticides and herbicides, and such
metals as copper, Andrew says. 

Linden, the water scholar, says the presence of pharmaceutical compounds
in water is worrisome, but it's too early to panic. Much more research
needs to be done. It could be concentrations are so low they have no
effect on humans. 

Linden treats the water that comes out of his refrigerator tap at home
with an activated carbon filter, but not because of pharmaceuticals. He
doesn't like the chlorine taste, and he worries about the health impacts
of chlorine and its byproducts in drinking water. 

"Water is the new oil," he says. "Water is going to be a very valuable
commodity and we need to value it and put effort into making sure it's
safe." 

Douglas Brown: 303-954-1395 or djbrown at denverpost.com 

Weighing filter options 

Here's what you might pay for filter systems (minus installation): 

* Carafe filters range from in price from $15 to $60. 

* Faucet-mounted filters are $20-$60 and installation requires minimal
effort. 

* Countertop filters cost $50 to $300 and don't require plumbing
modifications. 

* Under-sink filters range from $55 to $350 and do require plumbing
modifications. 

* Reverse-osmosis filters are $160 to $450 and require plumbing
modifications. These filters also create large amounts of waste water
for every gallon filtered. 

* Whole-house filters range in price from $35 to $80, and require
professional installation. 

* Distillers range in price between $200 and $1,500 and require
professional installation.

Deborah L. DeBiasi
Email:   dldebiasi at deq.virginia.gov
WEB site address:  www.deq.virginia.gov
Virginia Department of Environmental Quality
Office of Water Permit Programs
Industrial Pretreatment/Toxics Management Program
PPCPs, EDCs, and Microconstituents
Mail:          P.O. Box 1105, Richmond, VA  23218 (NEW!)
Location:  629 E. Main Street, Richmond, VA  23219
PH:         804-698-4028
FAX:      804-698-4032