The Complete List of Contaminants Filtered by BOROUX foundation Filters

It's one thing to list all the chemicals and compounds, and it's another thing to understand what they are, how they're used, and the potential problems they cause. Knowing more about the contaminants allows you to address the specific health concerns associated with these pollutants. BOROUX water filter systems mitigate potential hazards, ensuring that drinking water is high quality.

The list of contaminants is what has been tested so far. There’s potential that the filters effectively reduce more contaminants, but without concrete test data, we cannot say for sure. Testing is ongoing, which means we're still collecting data on some of these contaminants, and we're conducting new tests with different contaminants. Once we have results, we'll update our list.

Testing is conducted in an ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited laboratory, ensuring high laboratory quality standards. Test conditions adhere to NSF/ANSI Standards 42, 53, and 401, specifying the influent challenge concentration and maximum allowable effluent concentration. Where these standards lack parameters, such as for Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), chloroform is used as a surrogate chemical, representing a worst-case scenario.

You may notice that fluoride and arsenic are not listed. These common water contaminants were tested; however, our foundation filters did not effectively reduce them. It's important for us to share this information with you and be transparent. We are currently developing new filters that will be specifically designed to address fluoride and arsenic.

From A to Z, here's the lengthy list of contaminants reduced by the BOROUX foundation filters. See the test results report.

• Alachlor
• Atenolol
• Atrazine
• BPA
• Bromochloroacetonitrile
• Bromodichloromethane
• Bromoform
• Cadmium
• Carbamazepine
• Carbofuran
• Carbon tetrachloride
• Chloramine
• Chlorodibomomethane
• Chlorine
• Chlorobenzene
• Chloroform
• Chloropricin
• Chromium
• cis-1,2-dichloroethylene
• cis-1,3-dichloropropylene
• Deet
• Dibromoacetonitrile
• Dibromochloropropane
• Dichloroacetonitrile
• Endrin
• Estrone
• Ethylbenzene
• Ethylene dibromide
• Glyphosate
• Gross Beta (cesium)
• Haloacetonitrile
• Haloketones
• Heptachlor
• Heptachlor epoxide
• Hexachlorobutadiene
• Hexachlorocyclopentadiene
• Ibuprofen
• Lead
• Lindane
• Linuron
• Meprobamate
• Mercury
• Metolachlor
• Methoxychlor
• Naproxen
• Nonylphenol
• Pentachlorophenol
• P-dichlorobenzene
• PFOA
• PFOS
• PFNA
• PFHxS
• PFHpA
• PFBS
• PFDA
• Phenytoin
• O-dichlorobenzene
• Simazine
• TCEP
• TCCPP
• Tetrachloroethylene
• Toluene
• Trans-1,2-dichloroethylene
• Tribromoacetic acid
• Trichloroacetonitrile
• Trichloroethylene
• Trihalomethanes
• Trimethoprim
• Uranium
• Xylenes
• 1,2-dichloroethane
• 1,2-dichloropropane
• 1,1-dichloroethylene
• 1,1-dichloro-2-propane
• 1,1,1-trichloro-2-propane
• 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane
• 2,4-D
• 2,4,5-TP
• 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene
• 1,1,1-trichloroethane
• 1,1,2-trichloroethane

Let's take a deeper look into these contaminants. We’ve categorized them to make it easier to understand their common uses and potential risks. If you’re using municipal water, there’s a high chance that these contaminants are in your tap water.

Heavy Metals:

Lead Used in a wide variety of products found in and around our homes, including paint, ceramics, pipes and plumbing materials, solders, gasoline, batteries, ammunition, and cosmetics.

Mercury Used in older thermometers, fluorescent light bulbs, and some electrical switches.

Cadmium Industrially used in batteries, alloys, coatings (electroplating), solar cells, plastic stabilizers, and pigments. Cadmium is also used in nuclear reactors where it acts as a neutron absorber.

Chromium Used to harden steel, manufacture stainless steel, and produce several alloys. Chromium plating can be used to give a polished mirror finish to steel.

Uranium Used as fuel for nuclear power plants and the nuclear reactors that run naval ships and submarines. It can also be used in nuclear weapons.

Cesium (Gross Beta) Used in manufacturing optical glasses and other optical instruments. It is also used to remove oxygen from light bulbs and vacuum tubes.

 

Plastics/Industrial:

Benzene* A chemical that is naturally produced by volcanoes and forest fires. However, benzene is more commonly used in industrial processes to make plastics, resins, synthetic fibers, lubricants, dyes, and more.

Bisphenol A (BPA) Used to manufacture polycarbonate plastics. This type of plastic is used to make some types of beverage containers, compact disks, plastic dinnerware, impact-resistant safety equipment, automobile parts, and toys.

Bromochloroacetonitrile* Chemical by-products of chlorine disinfection of drinking water.

Bromoform* Used in making organic chemicals, as a solvent for waxes, greases, and oils, and as a flotation agent in mineral separation.

Bromodichloromethane* Formerly used as a flame retardant, and a solvent for fats and waxes.

Carbon tetrachloride* A solvent in the rubber industry. As a cleansing agent in the dry cleaning industry. As a solvent in the chemical and drug industry.

cis-1,2-dichloroethylene* Used to produce solvents and in chemical mixtures.

Chloramine A disinfectant used to treat drinking water. It is formed by mixing chlorine with ammonia.

Chlorine Used to disinfect water and is part of the sanitation process for sewage and industrial waste. During the production of paper and cloth, chlorine is used as a bleaching agent. It is also used in cleaning products, including household bleach which is chlorine dissolved in water.

Chlorodibromomethane* Used as a chemical intermediate in the manufacture of fire extinguishing agents, aerosol propellants, refrigerants, and pesticides.

Chloroform** Used as a solvent, a substance that helps other substances dissolve. Also, it is used in the building, paper and board industries, and in pesticide and film production. It is used as a solvent for lacquers, floor polishes, resins, adhesives, alkaloids, fats, oils, and rubber.

Dibromoacetonitrile* Produced for use as an antimicrobial component in metalworking fluids.

Dichloroacetonitrile* A by-product of water chlorination.

Ethylbenzene* Used primarily in the production of styrene and synthetic polymers. It is used as a solvent; a constituent of asphalt and naphtha; and in synthetic rubber, fuels, paints, inks, carpet glues, varnishes, tobacco products, and insecticides. It is a component of automotive and aviation fuels.

Ethylene dibromide (EDB)* Used in various industrial production processes like the production of dyes, waxes, resins, and in laboratories.

Haloacetonitriles (HANs)* An emerging class of nitrogenous disinfection by-products (DBPs) formed in disinfected drinking water and have been reported to be more cyto- and genotoxic than the regulated DBPs.

Haloketones (HKs)* Unregulated volatile disinfection by-products.

Hexachlorobutadiene* Used to make rubber, as a solvent, to make lubricants, in gyroscopes, as a heat transfer liquid, and as a hydraulic fluid.

Hexachlorocyclopentadiene* An organochlorine compound that is used as a raw material in manufacturing other chemicals, including pesticides, flame retardants, resins, dyes, pharmaceuticals, plastics, etc.

Nonylphenols (NPs)* Used in manufacturing antioxidants, lubricating oil additives, laundry and dish detergents, emulsifiers, and solubilizers.

Pentachlorophenol (PCP)* An industrial wood preservative used mainly to treat utility poles and cross arms.

TOTAL Perfluoroalkyls (PFAS) Used to repel oil, grease, and water and used in surface protection products such as carpet and clothing treatments, coating for paper and cardboard packaging, and firefighting foams.

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)

perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS)

perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA)

perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS)

perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA)

perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA)

Toluene* Used in making paints, paint thinners, fingernail polish, lacquers, adhesives, and rubber, and in some printing and leather tanning processes. It is also used in the manufacture of other chemicals, nylon, and plastics. It is also added to gasoline along with benzene and xylene to improve octane ratings.

Trichloroacetonitrile* Can serve as a photoresponsive molecular storage generator for hydrogen chloride.

Trichloroethylene (TCE)* Used primarily to make refrigerants and other hydrofluorocarbons and as a degreasing solvent for metal equipment.

Trihalomethanes (THMs)* Liquid by-products formed when chlorine is used to disinfect water to make it safer to drink.

Tris(chloropropyl) phosphate (TCPP) A flame retardant commonly used in consumer products.

1,1,1-trichloro-2-propanone* A chlorination by-product in finished drinking water supplies.

1,1,1-Trichloroethene* Used as a metal degreasing and dry-cleaning solvent, and to make other organic chemicals.

1,1-Dichloro-2-propanone* A disinfection byproduct in drinking water.

1,1-Dichloroethylene (1,1-DCE)* A man-made substance used to make fire retardant fibers and polyethylene food wraps.

1,2-dichloroethane* Used to make vinyl chloride, and chlorinated solvents (trichloroethane, trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene, and vinylidene). The solvents are used to remove grease, resins, glue, and dirt. It is used as a solvent in the manufacture of polystyrene and SBR latex.

1,2-Dichloroethene* Used to make other chemicals in industry. It may also be used in refrigerants, pharmaceuticals manufacturing, or to remove fat from fish or meat.

1,2-Dichloropropane (dichloropropane)* A solvent that evaporates quickly at room temperature and is used as degreaser and dry cleaning fluid.

1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane* In the past, it was used in large amounts to produce other chemicals, as an industrial solvent to clean and degrease metals, and as an ingredient in paints and pesticides.

1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane* In the past, was used as a solvent, for degreasing metals, in paint removers, varnishes, lacquers, photographic film, rust removers, resins and waxes, extraction of oils and fats, and as an alcohol denaturant, in organic synthesis

1,1,2-Trichloroethane* In plastic, petrochemical, and other chemical product and preparation manufacturing; In industrial adhesives and sealants; and. As a laboratory chemical.

Pharmaceuticals:

Atenolol Used alone or in combination with other medications to treat high blood pressure.

Carbamazepine Used to treat certain types of seizures (eg, partial seizures, tonic-clonic seizures) and bipolar disorder. It is also used to relieve pain caused by trigeminal neuralgia (tic douloureux).

Estrone A female sex hormone. The weakest type of estrogen, it's typically higher after menopause.

Ibprofen A nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used to treat mild to moderate pain.

Meprobamate A sedative used for anxiety and insomnia first made available in the 1950s when it became very popular, but which is now rarely used.

Naproxen A nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used to relieve symptoms of arthritis (eg, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, or juvenile arthritis) such as inflammation, swelling, stiffness, and joint pain.

Phenytoin A medication used in the management and treatment of epilepsy, generalized tonic-clonic seizures, and complex partial seizures. It is in the anticonvulsants class of drugs.

Trichloroacetic acid* Can be used as a caustic agent on the skin or mucous membranes to treat local lesions and for the treatment of various dermatological diseases. There are reports of its use in removing tattoos, treating genital warts, and in dermal peeling.

Trimethoprim An antibiotic. It's used to treat and prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs), such as cystitis. Occasionally, trimethoprim is used to treat other types of infections, such as chest infections and acne.

Pesticides:

Alachlor* A chloroacetanilide type herbicide with restricted usage for preemergent control of grasses and broadleaf weeds.

Atrazine* A chlorinated triazine systemic herbicide that is used to selectively control annual grasses and broadleaf weeds before they emerge.

Bromochloroacetonitrile* A by-product of trichloroacetic acid production, which is used in the manufacture of plastics, herbicides, and pesticides.

Carbofuran* A systemic, broad spectrum N-methyl carbamate insecticide and nematicide registered for control of soil and foliar pests on a variety of field, fruit, and vegetable crops.

Chlorodibromomethane* A chemical intermediate in the manufacture of fire extinguishing agents, aerosol propellants, refrigerants, and pesticides.

DEET* (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) the active ingredient in many repellent products. It is widely used to repel biting bugs.

Dibromochloropropane (DBCP)* A pesticide used against nematodes (roundworms or threadworms) that damage pineapples, bananas and other tropical fruits.

Dinoseb* An herbicide that was once widely used for weed-control when producing crops like soybeans, vegetables, fruits and nuts, or citrus.

Endrin* Used as a pesticide to control insects, rodents, and birds.

Ethylene dibromide (edb)* Used to control insects in stored products, on fruits and vegetables, in flour mills, and in soil. EDB was also used as an ingredient in gasoline.

Glyphosate An herbicide that kills weeds and grasses by blocking an enzyme essential for plant growth. It's the active ingredient in many weed killer products, such as Roundup.

Heptachlor* Used as a soil and seed treatment and for termite control.

Heptachlor epoxide* Used in the past for killing insects in homes, buildings, and on food crops.

Hexachlorocyclopentadiene* An organochlorine compound that is used as a raw material in manufacturing other chemicals, including pesticides, flame retardants, resins, dyes, pharmaceuticals, plastics, etc.

Lindane* Used as an insecticide on fruit and vegetable crops, for seed treatment, in forestry, and for livestock and pet treatment.

Linuron* (3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1-methoxy-1-methylurea) a phenylurea herbicide that is used to control the growth of grass and weeds.

Methoxychlor* Used as an insecticide against flies, mosquitoes, cockroaches, chiggers, and a wide variety of other insects.

Metolachlor* One of the widely used herbicides on corn in Minnesota, and is also labeled for use on soybeans, potatoes, sugar beets, sunflowers, and tomatoes.

p-Dichlorobenzene (PDCB)* Used as a repellant against snakes, rats, mice, squirrels, bats and insects, as a deodorizer for toilets, urinals and diaper pails, as an insecticidal fumigant, and as an air freshener.

Simazine* An herbicide of the triazine class. The compound is used to control broad-leaved weeds and annual grasses.

1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene* Used in heat transfer fluids, as a dielectric fluid, and in making chemicals, insecticides and fungicides.

1, 3-dichloropropene* A Restricted Use Pesticide (RUP) used to kill nematodes, insects, and weeds on potatoes, flower bulbs and other vegetable and orchard crops.

1,4-Dichlorobenzene* Used as a fumigant to control mildew and mold, and as an insecticide.

2,4-D* A widely used herbicide that controls broadleaf weeds. It is used in many places including turf, lawns, rights-of-way, aquatic sites, forestry sites, and a variety of field, fruit and vegetable crops.

2,4,5-TP (silvex)* A postemergence herbicide for control of woody plants, and broadleaf herbaceous weeds in rice and bluegrass turf, in sugarcane, in rangeland improvement programs, on lawns.

*VOC - Volatile Organic Compound

Any compound of carbon, excluding carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, carbonic acid, metallic carbides or carbonates and ammonium carbonate, which participates in atmospheric photochemical reactions, except those designated by EPA as having negligible photochemical reactivity. Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs are organic chemical compounds whose composition makes it possible for them to evaporate under normal indoor atmospheric conditions of temperature and pressure.

Following the standards set by the NSF, VOCs are tested using chloroform** as a surrogate chemical.

Take the next step in filtering these contaminants out of your water by using a BOROUX water filter. Everything listed exceeds NSF standards by reducing the contaminants to below the maximum allowable effluent concentration limit. We're here to help facilitate informed decision-making regarding water treatment.