Whether you’re on public water or a private well, there are a number of treatment technologies you can use to help remove PFAS from your drinking water, including:

If you have PFAS in your tap water, the most appropriate technology depends on the specific compounds present in your water. PFAS are typically divided into two groups: long-chain and short-chain PFAS. Some treatment technologies work better against one group, some against the other.

Long-chain PFAS contain 6 or more carbon atoms and include PFOS and PFOA. Due to their added length, they have a tendency to bioaccumulate, or increase in concentration, in your body for longer amounts of time.

Short-chain PFAS contain 5 or fewer carbon atoms and include perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids (PFSAs) like PFBS. While they are assumed to have less potential for bioaccumulation in your body, they are highly mobile in soil and water and spread very easily throughout the environment.

The “chain” refers to the number of carbon atoms that make up the carbon-fluorine backbone of these compounds. PFAS persistence relies upon this carbon-fluorine bond, which in turn directly impacts which treatment methods are more or less effective.

Yes, both granulated activated carbon filters (or GAC, filled with a porous, granular carbon material) and carbon block filters (composed of compressed, powdered activated carbon) can be effective in reducing the older, longer chain PFAS compounds (like PFOS and PFOA).

Activated carbon filters can be installed at either the point-of-entry (where the service pipe meets your home) and the point-of-use (either under the sink, directly at the faucet, or in a countertop pitcher). As water flows through an activated carbon filter, chemicals like PFAS stick to the carbon particles. Replacing your filter regularly is key to its effectiveness.Absorption rates reduce notably with the shorter chain PFAS such as PFBA and PFBS.

Yes, reverse osmosis (RO) is considered to be extremely effective against a range of PFAS, including short-chain PFAS. RO works by using high pressure to push water through a semipermeable membrane with very small pores; the pores allow water to pass through but keep many contaminants from doing so.

RO treatment systems often include an activated carbon stage. It’s worth noting that RO systems use more water than the other treatment methods listed.
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Yes, nanofiltration (NF) is considered to be extremely effective against a range of PFAS, including short-chain PFAS. Similar to RO, NF uses pressure to push water through a membrane. Nanofiltration delivers coarser filtration, however, allowing water to retain minerals that RO would otherwise remove.

Yes, ion exchange, specifically anion exchange (as opposed to cation), is considered effective against certain PFAS compounds (specifically, short-chain compounds).

Ion exchange involves passing water through a resin composed of small, charged beads that act like magnets—they attract and hold on to compounds of the opposite charge, removing these compounds from the water.

No, water softeners are not effective at removing PFAS from drinking water. Water softeners that use cation exchange technology to remove positively charged contaminants (like calcium and magnesium) will not remove negatively charged PFAS compounds.

No, activated alumina is not known to be effective against PFAS. Activated alumina relies on adsorption to remove contaminants like arsenic, fluoride, and selenium.

No, boiling water does not remove PFAS.

Yes, water distillation does remove PFAS. However, distillation also removes all the beneficial minerals in water and is very energy intensive. Drinking distilled water is not recommended as a part of a healthy diet.

Refrigerator filters are not certified for PFAS removal. However, PFAS reduction depends on what filtration technology your fridge is equipped with. Common fridge filters that use activated carbon should be effective in removing long-chain PFAS.

Brita, PUR, and most common pitcher filters are not certified for PFAS removal. However, most pitcher filters (including Brita and PUR) use GAC filters and activated carbon has proven effective in removing long-chain PFAS.
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Berkey water filters are not certified for PFAS removal. While the exact materials of the Black Berkey Elements are unknown, it is most likely a form of carbon block filtration. Carbon block technology has proven effective in removing long-chain PFAS.

There are two relevant NSF/ANSI standards for PFAS reduction:

To comply with the standards and meet certification requirements, a device must:

Both NSF/ANSI 53 and 58 can be obtained for the reduction of many different compounds. Gaining the certification for some compounds does not mean that it effectively reduces every possible compound covered by the certification

Each of the above systems vary in price, installation and operational upkeep. Precise effectiveness is dependent on the particular PFAS in your water. As of yet there is no one-size-fits-all solution. We recommend you test your water before investing in treatment solutions.