Evaluation of pitcher and bottle filters for reducing selected emerging contaminants in drinking water

The presence of emerging contaminants (ECs) in drinking water poses significant risks to health and the environment. In this study, the importance of selecting an appropriate water purification filter was shown to enhance the efficacy of chemical contaminant removal. Twelve pitcher and five bottle filters of varying design and performance were evaluated for their ability to remove selected ECs: 12 pharmaceuticals, 26 pesticides, and 4 perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry was used to assess filter performance. The removal efficiencies of the targeted ECs above 80 % were shown by eight filters. A significant positive relationship was observed between the efficacy of the removal and the hydrophobicity of the contaminants. Pitcher filters generally outperformed bottle filters in terms of overall effectiveness, especially for contaminants with low and medium log K_OW values, whereas bottle filters excelled in removing hydrophobic PFAS. The difference in performance between filter types and similarities among filters from the same manufacturers were highlighted by the principal component analysis. The best filter achieved pesticide, pharmaceutical and PFAS reductions of 300 µg/L to 6 µg/L, 3 µg/L, and 9 µg/L, respectively, with removal efficiencies of 98 %, 99 % and 97 %. The efficiency of ECs removal in the pitcher filter was primarily influenced by the BET surface area and micropore volume. These findings underscore the effectiveness of available household filtration solutions in improving water quality and safety.