What Are Brita Water Filters Made Of?

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Brita water filters are widely used to filter drinking water but may not be the most effective.

These filters use ion exchange resins and activated carbon. Ion exchange resins remove zinc, copper, and cadmium, while activated carbon removes chlorine, chloramines, and other impurities from drinking water.

Short Answer

Brita says their water filters use a proprietary blend of activated carbon and a binder. The filter reduces chlorine taste, odor, particulates, and other contaminants. Coconut-based activated carbon filters chlorine, zinc, copper, cadmium, and mercury. Brita filters use coconut-shell activated carbon. Brita filters reduce 30 contaminants, including lead and benzene.

Plastic Brita water filter cartridges last two months. Blue filters are for long-lasting water, while white and gray filters are for standard water. Consumer Reports says Brita water filter pitchers cost $15–60 and $32 annually. Brita pitchers purify water cheaply and easily.

As a water filter technician, Brita water filters remove impurities and improve tap water taste. The filters are simple to install and maintain, and replacement cartridges are readily available. I’ve seen Brita water filters improve home and office drinking water.

Finally, Brita water filters reduce chlorine taste and odor, particulates, and other contaminants with a proprietary blend of activated carbon and a binder. Brita filters use plastic and coconut shell-activated carbon. Brita water filter pitchers are affordable, easy to use, and recyclable. As a water filter technician, I recommend Brita filters for better drinking water.

Contents show

Activated Carbon

Airborne pollutants are trapped by millions of micropores in activated carbon filters. It also treats municipal drinking water, processes food and beverages, removes odors, and controls industrial pollution.

Chemicals in contaminated air are attracted to carbon particles and chemically bond with them, trapping them in the adsorbent for removal.

Some activated carbon products are made from natural ash, while others are made from other materials. Ash usually doesn’t affect carbon performance but can damage micropore structure in regenerated granular activated carbons.

Powdered activated carbon (PAC) is a fine adsorbent with a high surface-to-volume ratio. It works well in gravity filters, rapid mix basins, and other applications where adsorption is more important than flow.

Ion Exchange Resin

Brita water filters use silver-impregnated activated carbon and ion exchange resin. Ion exchange resin removes harmful chemicals and heavy metals from water, while activated carbon removes chlorine and chloramine.

Filters and water softeners use ion exchange resin. Ionizable functional groups are in the plastic matrix of these resins.

Cation-exchange resin reduces limescale, copper, and lead by exchanging calcium ions for sodium ions in drinking water.

By doing this, the resin can pass more beneficial ions. Passing ions diffuse back into the water solution to reduce hardness and improve the taste.

Ion exchange regenerates resin because it is reversible. However, changing water quality can affect resin performance.

Silver

Ion exchange resins and activated carbon filter Brita water. The carbon adsorbs contaminants, while ion exchange resins remove ions (substances that give water its chemical properties like taste, color, and odor) from contaminants in the solution.

Silver-impregnated Brita water filters reduce bacteria that can make untreated water sick. Silver can kill Legionella, which can cause pneumonia if left untreated.

Silver also removes pesticides and other organic compounds from drinking water. Silver forces these substances to decompose and disappear, which other methods may not be able to do.

To get the most out of your Brita filter, replace it every 40 gallons. Longlast filters last 120 gallons, and faucet filters 100 gallons.

Chlorine and Chloramine

Chlorine kills germs, bacteria, and viruses before they reach your drinking water. It also reduces disinfection byproducts (DBPs) in your drinking water.

For some, chlorine is a problem. Chlorine in water can cause respiratory issues like coughing and breathing problems.

Brita and other water filters remove chlorine. They also remove copper, cadmium, and zinc contaminants that affect water taste.

Water disinfection with chloramine is another option. Chloramine, made of chlorine and ammonia, kills bacteria by breaking down cells.

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