GE has introduced what it claims to be the most advanced water filtration system in the industry as part of its recently launched French door refrigerators.
The first-of-its-kind water filtration system has been tested and verified by an independent third party to remove 98% of five trace pharmaceuticals, including ibuprofen, atenolol, fluoxetine, progesterone and trimethoprim, from water and ice.
In the press release GE says that according to a 2010 study conducted by The Stevenson Co. on behalf of GE, consumers rated the protection of their water supply as their number-one environmental concern. In fiscal year 2010, 10% of all community water systems—serving more than 23 million people—sold water to consumers that violated at least one health-based EPA standard. And, an Associated Press investigation of tests conducted by water suppliers all over the country found low concentrations of dozens of pharmaceuticals in drinking water—including antibiotics, aspirin, blood pressure medications and antidepressants.
Among the reasons pharmaceuticals end up in our water supply is consumers flushing them down the toilet without realizing where they might end up. Or, if products are tossed in the trash, they often wind up in landfills, where they can seep into groundwater—and ultimately can come through water taps.
“Water treatment plants do a great job of cleaning our water, but they can’t always filter out all contaminants, and trace pharmaceuticals are left in the drinking water that comes into our homes,” said John Boyd, refrigeration marketing manager for GE Appliances. “Through advanced technology, the water filters from our new GE® French door refrigerator remove 98 percent of contaminants and deliver cleaner, clearer, easily accessible drinking water.”
This is one of the reasons that we all advise people to keep their fridge freezer water filter fresh as it ensures that a lot of potentially harmful elements are removed from the water and ice from your fridge freezer.
