Understanding Failure Modes of NSF/ANSI 53 Lead-Certified Point-of-Use Pitcher and Faucet Filters

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dc.contributor.authorPurchase, Jeannie M.en
dc.contributor.authorRouillier, Rustyen
dc.contributor.authorPieper, Kelsey J.en
dc.contributor.authorEdwards, Marc A.en
dc.contributor.departmentCivil and Environmental Engineeringen
dc.date.accessioned2021-05-19T13:02:58Zen
dc.date.available2021-05-19T13:02:58Zen
dc.date.issued2021-02-09en
dc.description.abstractNSF/ANSI 53 lead-certified point-of-use filters (POUs) have been distributed to consumers in many cities facing lead-in-water crises including Washington, D.C., Flint, MI, Newark, NJ, and University Park, IL. After questions repeatedly arose about POU effectiveness in treating samples with relatively high levels of lead, we examined 10 POU pitcher and faucet filter brands under extreme conditions (e.g., <= 200% of rated capacity, influent lead levels of approximate to 1000 mu g/L). Our tests sought to validate the successful performance documented in some field testing and replicate the underperformance observed in others. While verifying very good performance (i.e., <10 mu g/L effluent lead) across most brands and situations, we encountered a few failures, including leaking units, premature clogging, and a filter with a large hole in the medium. We also synthesized waters with colloidal lead that proved to be especially difficult to treat, as evidenced by 50% of influent lead passing through some replicate POUs that would have passed NSF/ANSI 53 lead certification testing. While the POUs almost always dramatically reduced consumer lead exposure level, even when operated beyond their rated capacity, this study highlights instances in which treated water exceeded thresholds of 5, 10, and even 15 mu g/L lead.en
dc.description.notesThis research was supported by Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Healthy Home Technical Studies Grant VAHHU0036-17. Undergraduate students Joseph Hector, Ailene Edwards, Rebekah Broyles, Sarah Loomis, Isabella Lerer, Jesika McDaniel, Leila Husain, Paighton Vanzant, Natalie Stone, and Abby Simonpietri assisted with the two years of laboratory work presented herein.en
dc.description.sponsorshipHousing and Urban Development (HUD) Healthy Home Technical Studies [VAHHU0036-17]en
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1021/acs.estlett.0c00709en
dc.identifier.issn2328-8930en
dc.identifier.issue2en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/103381en
dc.identifier.volume8en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.rightsCreative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 Internationalen
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/en
dc.titleUnderstanding Failure Modes of NSF/ANSI 53 Lead-Certified Point-of-Use Pitcher and Faucet Filtersen
dc.title.serialEnvironmental Science & Technology Lettersen
dc.typeArticle - Refereeden
dc.type.dcmitypeTexten
dc.type.dcmitypeStillImageen

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