Great for most contaminants, not so much for plastic particles.
Brita is one of the world’s most popular brands in pitcher and sink-attached water filtration systems. So popular that the brand name ‘Brita’ has become genericized as a common synonym for home water filters.
In their pitcher models, Brita has ‘Standard’ and ‘Elite/Plus’ filters. These filters are not reverse osmosis - both of these are activated carbon filters with an ion exchange resin.
The coconut-based activated carbon naturally captures contaminants in its meshy molecular structure from the water that passes through it removing mercury and chlorine while the ion exchange resin filters copper, zinc, and cadmium.
According to the manufacturer’s self-reported testing, the ‘Elite/Plus’ also partially filters industrial and pharmaceutical chemicals such as benzene, ethylbenzene, tetrachloroethylene, toluene, and 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene.
Their just as successful faucet filters remove all of the previously mentioned contaminants along with lead, some volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and more industrial chemicals and pesticides.
Brita filters and activated carbon filters in general are great at removing key contaminants from drinking water, but not powerful enough to remove most microplastics which can be much smaller than these other impurities.
In fact, Brita’s description of their Original and Elite filters claim that they remove contaminants “while preserving certain healthy minerals and electrolytes”. Most minerals range from 0.1-10 nanometers in size (the human hair is around 80,000nm in diameter), so the much smaller sized microplastics (can be less than 1nm) will remain after filtration through activated carbon.
We were not able to find any official first- or third-party testing for microplastic contamination in Brita-filtered water. Our guess is that they would advertise microplastic reduction if they actually did significantly reduce particle counts.
Brita filters, and activated carbon filters alone in general, are not adequate microplastic removal methods of filtration due to their physical limitations, but reverse osmosis filters can.
Investing in a reverse osmosis system is a great first step towards reducing your microplastic exposure via drinking water.
Countertop RO filter systems are the easiest to setup, requiring no installation, and are perfect for apartments where plumbing can’t be accessed adequately.
Under-sink RO filter systems are hidden underneath your kitchen sink, keeping countertop space available, and do not require manual refilling like countertop systems.
Whole-house RO filter systems are the end-all solution, bringing microplastic-filtered water into your home from the beginning for uses outside the kitchen, such as bathing and laundering.
Once you have set up one of these options, it’s also important to then store your water in plastic-free bottles made from glass, stainless steel, or other inert materials. Microplastics shed from plastic bottles and containers can re-contaminate water that was previously filtered.
