Innovative Water Filters Protect Against Viruses in Household Drinking Water

Innovative new home water filters can remove dangerous viruses with up to 99.99% effectiveness

For the health and safety of their families, there is no question that homeowners want the safest, cleanest drinking water possible without dangerous, even life-threatening, contaminants.  Now, with viruses on top of everyone’s mind, many are looking to install home water filters that provide an added layer of protection against potentially hazardous viruses in their drinking water.

When it comes to viruses, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set a Public Health Goal of zero (mg/L) for its National Primary Drinking Water Regulations.  Some viruses such as hepatitis, meningitis, and typhoid can be transmitted by drinking contaminated water.  In fact, viruses cause about half of groundwater-related diseases globally.

For those concerned specifically about coronavirus, the National Center for Biotechnology Information study “Survival of surrogate coronaviruses in water” observed the stability of coronaviruses in water and sewage over long periods of time.  The study found that “the coronaviruses studied were capable of remaining infectious in reagent-grade waters, natural environmental waters, and waters contaminated with human fecal waste (sewage) for periods of weeks.”

As a result, those concerned about viruses may wish to add an extra layer of protection against the possibility that viruses, including coronavirus, could be present in their home drinking water.

Fortunately, homeowners who want the best protection against viruses and drinking water contaminants can now take advantage of innovative technology applied to home water filters that remove dangerous viruses with up to 99.99% efficacy.  Previously, only costly commercial filters approached this high level of virus reduction.

Eliminating Waterborne Viruses

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a number of viral pathogens can be transmitted by water such as hepatitis, rotavirus, adenovirus, norovirus, and poliovirus.  Other severe illnesses like meningitis and encephalitis can result from such viruses.  Pregnant women, children, the elderly, and anyone who is immunocompromised are at greatest risk for susceptibility. Although municipal drinking water is treated with chemicals like chlorine or chloramine to neutralize certain contaminants, this technique has not always been completely effective in handling viruses in drinking water.  Even when municipalities add these substances as disinfectants to chemically destroy viruses, a minimum contact time is still required in a holding tank, along with proper water chemistry, maintenance and replenishment, so the results are not always complete.  For optimal health and taste, chlorine and chloramine should also be removed from the drinking water.

Physical filtration using traditional filter media, however, is difficult due to the infinitesimal size of viruses. Viruses can be 10,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair.

As an effective alternative for homeowners, under the sink, refrigerator, and tap filters are now being produced that remove viruses without using chlorine, chloramine, synthetic chemicals or antibiotics to disinfect the water.  Such filters are available as replacements for major OEM brand filters. As an example, U. S. based Swift Green Filters has developed a patented multi-stage technology, used in combination with an environmentally friendly form of active carbon that attracts and removes viruses.

When water flows through the filter, it passes both the filter media and a patented, proprietary, fine ceramic powder.  The ceramic powder holds a positive electrical charge that attracts and captures the viruses while the clean drinking water passes through.

In laboratory tests, filters with the embedded ceramic powder removed viruses with up to 99.99% effectiveness, which the industry refers to as a 4-Log virus capability. Most viruses fall into the 4-Log category, including coronavirus. The tests were conducted by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), an accredited laboratory recognized by the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO). 

To further promote environmental health and sustainability, some manufacturers utilize natural, renewable materials within the filter media as well.  As an example, in addition to the ceramic powder technology, Swift Green Filters uses coconut carbon in all its filter media.  The carbon is created by charring coconut shells and turning the byproduct into a fine powder.  Although this technique has been adopted by others in the industry, the most environmentally friendly options are charred in an enclosed kiln, and not in the open air with smoke pollutants, including dangerous carbon monoxide, released into the environment. 

The filters are certified to meet the NSF/ANSI (National Sanitation Foundation/American National Standards Institute) 53 standards for drinking water treatment units.  The filters reduce over 50 contaminants including lead, chromium, cryptosporidium, and VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds).  In addition, the units meet the NSF/ANSI 42 standard regarding reduced chlorine, chloramine, particulate, total dissolved solids, taste and odor, etc.

The filters also address another growing concern: secondhand exposure to trace elements of prescription and over-the-counter medications that are found in treated water.  These can range from painkillers and tranquilizers to birth control and antibiotics, which concerns some researchers about potential cumulative effects if not sufficiently eliminated.

The innovative filters are also certified to meet the NSF/ANSI 401 standard for emerging compounds/incidental contaminants.  In meeting the standard, the filters reduce up to 15 additional contaminants including prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, herbicides, pesticides and chemical compounds.  

Together, the ceramic powder technology along with the environmentally friendly active carbon can remove viruses as well as trace levels of more than 300 drinking water contaminants.

With homeowners increasingly concerned about health and reducing exposure to viruses, the ability to remove dangerous viruses from drinking water with up to 99.99% effectiveness is an important way to take some measure of control during these uncertain times.  When it comes to potentially ingesting waterborne viruses and contaminants in drinking water, as the saying goes, “It’s better to be safe than sorry.”  

For more info, visit http://www.swiftgreenfilters.com or write to Swift Green Filters at 2678 Ram Bay Road, Manning, SC 29102.