Question from sttlove
I have city water, and I recently found out that it is treated with Chloramine. I haven’t had it tested yet, but I can tell just by the smell that it is probably a high content. My family is suffering from it and it has become undesirable to bathe or shower. So, I would like to get a whole house Chloramine filter system. Does anyone know of a reputable company that specializes in this? I live in Pennyslvania. I know that Chloramine is much more complicated to remove than Chlorine, so it is important that I have the correct filtration. Thanks.
Debra’s Answer
Yes, I do know of an excellent whole house chloramine filter. You are very wise to make sure you are getting the right one.
I’ve been recommending PureEffect Filters since I installed their undersink filter in my own home (read why I chose the PureEffect Ultra-UC filter to install in my own home…. They also have a whole house filter that removes these same pollutants (chloramines, fluoride, radiation, etc) from your entire house.
Go to PureEffect Filters then click on “Filter Units” in the menu. The whole house filter for city water is the last item on the page. And right at the moment they are on sale.
We’re currently in the process of in-depth research on the specific chemistry involved in the removal of such byproducts to confirm if our system can address this. However, from preliminary research, it appears that hydrazine contains two ammonia molecules, and is quite similar in it’s chemical properties to ammonia, that being the case, it looks like the Activated Zeolite in our system, which is a proven and potent ammonia removal media, may have an effect on removal of Hydrazine.With regards to NDMA, this chemical is broken down to non-detectable levels by exposure to sufficient wattage UV light energy.The next byproduct, DXAA is formed in chloraminated water that has low pH, as higher pH level inhibits the formation of DXAA, we are currently working to get more data on the removal of this byproduct. Moving on to Iodic Acids, which are acids consisting of a combination of iodine (L2) and Chlorine (Cl). Considering that iodine ion is very well absorbed by a high quality activated carbon, (a standardized test to measure a carbons potency is to actually measure how much iodine it absorbs, resulting in an iodine #), there is a high probability of absorbing iodine based chemicals, such as iodic acids onto the advanced activated carbon in our systems.We encourage people to take proactive measures and start to clean their water with our industry leading filter, and as we make more advances in our filtration technology, the systems can be easily upgraded by simply switching out old cartridge for new one. As the system currently stands, it is one of the most holistic, balanced and wide-range contaminant reduction units available.
Although a UV add-on is not available on our website, we can provide this as a custom built configuration if necessary, as proper wattage and flow rate are required to break down DXAA to non-detectable levels.
Igor (Pure Effects),
According to NSF, no filter currently certified for drinking water can take out or reduce the toxic byproducts of chloramine. Do you agree with this statement?
Does your filter eliminate NDMA, Hydrazine, Iodinated byproducts and DXAA? If so – SIGN ME UP!
Thanks for your thoughts on this important matter.
Lou
Hi Susan,
I am the owner of the filter company Debra mentioned here (PureEffect), and am passionate about this subject. Certainly Chloramine is replacing Chlorine all across the board, and although it’s much more presistant in the water supply and a more potent disinfectant, this comes with a price, as you already touched upon. Regular Activated Carbons cannot absorb/decompose Chloramine well, so an advanced form of Carbon termed Catalytic Carbon is needed.
It looks like you’ve done comprehensive research into the Chloramine issue, and I can appreciate you sharing your knowledge, particularly regarding the byproducts. You may be interested to know, that our whole house system which Debra mentioned here uses a 1 Micron Catalytic Carbon made of Coconut Shell, using an advanced manufacturing process, which, according to comparison testing between 4 different types of Catalytic Carbons on the market, has significantly outperformed all others, including Calgon’s Coal Based Carbon in both Capacity, Efficiency, Peroxide No. and % of Chloramine Removal. And yes, it is NSF Certified to Standard 42.
You may already know this, but the performance (Catalytic Activity) of Catalytic carbon is measured by the Peroxide No., which signifies how long it takes for hydrogen peroxide to decompose when in contact with the carbon. The lower the #, the more effective the Catalytic Carbon. In our carbon supplier’s testing data, after 10 minutes of exposure to Hydrogen Peroxide Calgon scored a 29.6 and the Carbon we use, an 18.6. After 30 minutes, Calgon = 24.6 / our Carbon 13.9.
Another benefit…because our Catalytic Carbon is made of Coconut Shell, it yields a high surface area of micro pores which serve to effectively absorb VOC’s, which Coal or Wood based carbon’s don’t do very well.
If you or anyone reading this are interested to discuss further, or have any questions regarding our products, feel free to contact me at 1-347-492-4014or info@pureeffectfilters.com. Susan, perhaps we can join forces in developing a media to remove Chloramine byproducts and help people with the most effective Chloramine Filtration possible in the meantime, and with Debra’s help to spread the word.
Kind Regards,
Igor
Hello Debra,
Yes you are wise to find the right filter. NSF International rates and certifies filtration equipment. The certification number for Chloramine is 42. Make sure any filter you get is certified FOR CHLORAMINE. You should also know a few things about filters….First, they can only reduce chloramine not eliminate it. Some people who suffer effects of chloramine get relief from filters, others do not. Second, no filter can reduce or eliminate the highly toxic byproducts formed by chloramine including NDMA, Hydrazine, DXAA and Iodo Acids. These byproducts are 100,000 times more toxic than those made by chlorine. Your filter only protects you within your home. You will still be exposed at work, school, restaurants, hotels, drinking fountains, friends and families ‘ homes. Any time you move you will have that expense again.
I don’t mean to sound so negative, but our group and citizen groups around the country have been fighting the use of chloramine for over 6 years. We are making headway but it is going to take a bit longer. If you care to help us with your story (confidential unless you say otherwise) I would love to hear from you. You can visit our website (being updated now) at http://www.chloramineinfocenter.net and learn more about chloramine and our efforts to stop it. As for reputable companies, check out a few…make sure they are correctly certified. If they tell you they can reduce or eliminate the byproducts…go somewhere else becaues they don’t know what they are talking about. Calgon understands Chloramine and I have found them to be very reputable. But talk to a few. Good luck…I hope to hear from you.