# Do Brita filters actually DO anything? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 9, 2004, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-brita-filters-actually-do-anything/258978 "2004-08-09T03:42:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![lk1932](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/aeb1de/32.png) [@lk1932](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lk1932)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2004, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-brita-filters-actually-do-anything/258978/21 "2004-08-10T00:57:16Z")
My daughter and family live in the country and their well water has a very strong sulfur smell to it. It is so bad that I will not drink it. She bought one of those pitchers just to see if it would take the smell out and it works great. The family has been using it for about 2 years and would not think of drinking a glass of water that was not filtered through the Brita. ---
**Author:** ![stockton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@stockton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stockton)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2004, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-brita-filters-actually-do-anything/258978/22 "2004-08-10T00:57:48Z")
> [@mangeorge](#): > > Ok, where did this “vagina” thing come from? The sig line on the first post after the OP is: “My new motto: Never leave home without a vagina!” If you have sigs turned off, you never saw it. ---
**Author:** ![Bingo\_Plebney](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/43a26b/32.png) [@Bingo\_Plebney](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bingo_Plebney)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2004, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-brita-filters-actually-do-anything/258978/23 "2004-08-10T00:59:40Z")
The vagina thing snowballed after I made a gut-busting, knee-slapping, heeeelarious reference to the signature line on SCSimmons original post- the second in the thread, I believe. BTW, my snappy rejoinder will be an even bigger belly laugh after that spliff. Enjoy! BP > [@mangeorge](#): > > Ok, where did this “vagina” thing come from? Did I miss something? Am I too old, and just don’t get it? Did a post get deleted? What? > I did re-read all the posts, up to this one. > I need a joint. > Peace, > mangeorge > BTW; talk about living dangerously, I drink “spring” water. Tastes good. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2004, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-brita-filters-actually-do-anything/258978/24 "2004-08-10T01:29:22Z")
> [@Bingo Plebney](#): > > Thanks, Robby. So, I get these benefits despite the fact that the water is simply passing over about three inches worth of loose granules? I do remember reading once that activated charcoal had something on the order of 3 acres of filterable area per gram or something (sorry, can’t cite), but the reason I posted the question was that it seemed to me that with only a gravity assist, that the water would simply flow over the charcoal granules rather than through them and that all of the fine products of the DuPont and Monsanto companies that were in my water when it went in the top of the pitcher would still be there when it got to the bottom. Activated carbon is characterized by its extremely large surface area. The surface area per _gram_ of material can range from 500 square meters to as high as 2500 square meters. (Note: 2500 m[sup]2[/sup] is a bit more than half an acre.) Gravity filtration works just fine. Actually, the water does simply flow over the carbon; by a process known as adsorption, contaminants present in the water that have a higher affinity for the carbon than the water are thereby removed. > [@spoke-](#): > > So do these filters remove [flouride](http://www.fluoridedebate.com/question12.html) [sic] (thus increasing the risk of tooth decay)? I worried about this too, with a new baby in the house when I first installed the filter. I did an extensive literature search on the topic, and found a definitive study indicating that activated carbon does not appreciably affect dissolved fluoride in the water. > [@DrDeth](#): > > …But the Brita water is likely to be softer and tastier. While activated carbon can improve the taste of water, it will not make the water softer (i.e. will not remove hardness ions). ---
**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2004, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-brita-filters-actually-do-anything/258978/25 "2004-08-10T02:37:21Z")
> [@spoke-](#): > > So do these filters remove [flouride](http://www.fluoridedebate.com/question12.html) (thus increasing the risk of tooth decay)? I don’t know about tooth decay, but those who use water filters have a higher resistance to mind control. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2004, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-brita-filters-actually-do-anything/258978/26 "2004-08-10T11:50:11Z")
My fridge filter works superbly. And at about 1/3 the cost of a Brita filter. Consider your costs next time you’re shopping for a fridge. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-brita-filters-actually-do-anything/258978.md?page=1)