A former scientist and influencer has gone viral after explaining why Brita is the “worst” water filter out there.
In the TikTok, which has amassed 633,000 views, Warren Phillips (@nontoxicdad) explained why he has beef with Brita. “Looking at their marketing, it reduces chlorine taste and odor,” he highlighted. “It reduces the taste and odor of chlorine, but it doesn’t eliminate it. It takes out some, but not all of it.”
He then went on to add that “when third parties have tested this stuff, the reduction of lead, cadmium, these other toxic heavy metals that they’re claiming here, are only by a small percentage.”
Therefore, according to him, “You’re really not cleaning up your water at all, and one lab test result even showed that it increased the levels of aluminum.”
He then went on to say, “If that truth isn’t enough for you to upgrade your water filtration, this pitcher is made of plastic. What does that mean? When you store water in there, it can release microplastics and millions of shards of nanoplastics, which cause inflammation and disease in your body.”
All in all, based on this video, it seems like people should avoid Brita. But is what Phillips said true?
Phillips didn’t immediately respond to the Daily Dot’s request for comment via TikTok comment and email.
@nontoxicdad Brita filters may be one of the least effective filters you can buy… So if you’re thinking about getting a Brita filter, you may want to save your money! 💵 👉 While it claims to reduce chlorine taste and odor, it doesn’t actually eliminate it, so it isn’t doing your health any special favors! 👉 And when it comes to toxic heavy metals like lead and cadmium, the reduction is not nearly as significant as other filters you can get for your home. 👉 Some tests even showed INCREASED aluminum levels AFTER filtering! 😳 👉 Plus, the plastic pitcher itself can release harmful microplastics into your water, leading to inflammation, hormone disruption, and other health issues. Knowing this, it’s time to upgrade your water filtration to something more non-toxic like a Reverse Osmosis system! 💧 #Brita #WaterFilter #CleanWater #HealthHacks #NonToxicLiving ♬ original sound – NonToxicDad
Is the Non-Toxic Dad right?
According to Tap Score, Brita is certified to reduce “aesthetic chlorine” under NSF/ANSI 42. This means that while it doesn’t completely remove chlorine, it removes enough to stop it from impacting the water’s taste and odor.
Secondly, research cited by Water Filter Labs claims that Brita water filters only removed small percentages of substances like uranium, arsenic, lead, and copper. This cited research also suggests that aluminum content in the water rose by nearly 34 percent.
The Center for Environmental Research also notes that Brita’s pitcher lids and filter housings are made of polypropylene plastic. Furthermore, the water filter’s reservoirs and pitchers are made of two possible substances. The first is NAS, a styrene-based plastic, and the second is SAN (styrene acrylonitrile). However, these are all reportedly tested for safety by the National Sanitation Foundation.
Brita didn’t immediately respond to the Daily Dot’s request for comment via email.
What did commenters say?
While commenters were grateful for the advice, they all had the same feedback for Phillips: What water filter should they use instead?
“Love that he says the worst, but doesn’t give any examples of what would be better,” one wrote. “Been struggling to find a good one when I don’t want to install tap filter,” another added. “Help me! tell me what’s the best one!”
“No solution to the problem at the end?” a third asked. “Come on.”
Numerous other commenters also recommended ZeroWater filters as an alternative to Brita.
“Zero water is best,” one viewer said. Another added, “All our food comes in plastic but the best filter I found is Zero water filters!!”
Comparatively, on the ZeroWater website, the water filtration company reports that it removes 99 percent of chlorine, 99.9 percent of cyanide, 99 percent of fluoride, 98 percent of nitrate, and 99 percent of other nitrates.
ZeroWater did not immediately respond to the Daily Dot’s request for comment via email.
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