The market is flooded with various types of water filters - microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, reverse osmosis, electrodialysis reversal, membrane bioreactors, and combinations of membranes in series. At the conference on Wastewater Reclamation and Reuse for Sustainability it was shown that reverse osmosis filters were the most effective at removing all pollutants, including pharmaceuticals. Looking for the most user friendly and economic filter, I found the RioFlow Complete 5-Stage Reverse Osmosis System. For about $180, you can rest assured that your water is free and clear of "other people’s drugs.
Drug giant Merck recently warned that "There’s no doubt about it, pharmaceuticals are being detected in the environment and there is genuine concern that these compounds, in the small concentrations that they’re at, could be causing impacts to human health and aquatic organisms." To wit, officials in Philadelphia identified 56 pharmaceuticals or by-products in tap water. Such medications included pain meds, cholesterol lowering drugs, birth control pills, antidepressants and blood pressure meds! None of which belong in little Johnny’s "sippy cup."
Don’t expect your city to be any different. The federal government doesn’t require any testing or safety limits for drugs in tap water. Protect yourself with the right water filter!
