ALEC Partners with Good Housekeeping Research Institute

Jan. 10, 2012

The Arizona Laboratory for Emerging Contaminants (ALEC) and the research group of Dr. Shane Snyder at the University of Arizona partnered with the Good Housekeeping Research Institute to test the ability of consumer water filters to remove contaminants from drinking water. The study will appear in the March issue of Good Housekeeping, a publication which reaches nearly 25 million readers each month. When Good Housekeeping Editor-in-Chief Rosemary Ellis appeared on the TODAY show to describe the ground-breaking study, she referred to ALEC as “one of the best labs in the world.”

For the study, Tucson municipal water was spiked with 15 contaminants of concern that are not currently regulated by the government. Gallons and gallons of the contaminated water were passed through common pour-through and refrigerator water filters, in order to simulate the normal use that the devices would get in a real home over weeks and months of use. Upon reaching the lifetime of the filter, and at points along the way, the water was tested to determine how effective the filters were at removing the various contaminants. The Good Housekeeping report shows that refrigerator filters worked the best, and that some table-top filters could also be effective at removing some contaminants.

ALEC is funded in part by the University of Arizona Superfund Research Program (UA SRP) and is co-directed by UA professors Dr. Jon Chorover (College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and UA SRP investigator) and Dr. Shane Snyder (College of Engineering). Dr. Chorover says of the study, “by conducting these experiments, Dr. Snyder and his graduate student, Tarun Anumol, have generated practical information to help homeowners understand how point-of-use  devices can diminish daily exposures to waterborne contaminants. We are pleased that our analytical capabilities have enabled research of such broad public interest. “

To read more:

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/womens-health/water-safety

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/product-reviews/health-products/water-filters

For a clip of the TODAY show:

http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/46396159#46396159