Carbon-Filter Pitcher Water

Activated-carbon jug filter.

75Low burden · out of 100

Evidence strengthmoderate

How this score is built

100Start
90.8Chemical hazard 2 × 4.6−9.2
80.6Everyday exposure 3 × 3.4−10.2
75Persistence 2 × 2.6−5.2, then rounded to 75
LowThe band75 sits in 60–79.

What each input rests on

The three ratings behind the score, and the studies each rests on
Input	Rating	Evidence
Chemical hazard	2/10	unsourced input
Everyday exposure	3/10	In North Carolina homes, pitcher and other activated-carbon filters (other than under-sink units) showed variable PFAS removal: about 60–70% for long-chain and about 40% for short-chain PFAS. Assessing the Effectiveness of Point-of-Use Residential Drinking Water Filters for Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) · Environmental Science & Technology Letters 2020 DOI 10.1021/acs.estlett.0c00004 · Abstract · read 2026-10-02 Filtering Barcelona tap water through a pitcher-type or reverse-osmosis filter mostly eliminated bromine-containing trihalomethanes; across all boiling and filtering tests, THM4 fell 48% to 97%. The effect of different boiling and filtering devices on the concentration of disinfection by-products in tap water · J Environ Public Health 2013 DOI 10.1155/2013/959480 · PMID 23476675 · Abstract · read 2026-10-02
Persistence	2/10	unsourced input

Ratings are editorial. A study listed here supports the rating; it did not compute it. How the index is built

What this means for you

Pitcher filters cut many chlorination by-products, but in a 2020 home study carbon filters of this kind removed only about 40–70% of PFAS. A filter works only while its cartridge is replaced on schedule.

Evidence strength: moderate

Sources: US EPA — Identifying drinking water filters certified to reduce PFAS (updated 2025-11-18)

See where your whole exposure load is highest — free Exposure Score →

This entry and the whole Index, on your phone.