NSF, a leading testing and certification organization in the water industry, has announced that Microfilter has become NSF’s first client in the world to receive the NSF/ANSI 53 certification for total reduction of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in water.
Microfilter, a South Korean water filter manufacturer, earned certification to NSF/ANSI 53 for its FP-10, FP-10S, FP-15, FP-15S, FP-17, FP-17S, FP-21 and FP-21S products.
Microfilter was established in 1996 and has been producing and distributing water filters for both home and business applications. Microfilter is one of the top companies in South Korea's water filtration sector.
"Microfilter is proud to be the first company to achieve NSF/ANSI 53 for chemicals for Total PFAS reduction,” said Park Chan-ho, CEO of Microfilter. “'Forever chemicals' have been linked with cancer, fertility issues and weakened immune systems, posing a growing health threat to our communities through drinking water sources. We look forward to partnering with companies that share our vision of a cleaner and healthier world. Together we can make a big difference in the fight against PFAS and help ensure a safer and more sustainable future.”
NSF/ANSI 53 was developed by NSF, whose standards process is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the Standards Council of Canada (SCC). The standard is continually reviewed and updated to ensure it continues to match current technology.
The NSF/ANSI 53-2018 edition added a performance reduction claim for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) in drinking water treatment devices that use activated carbon absorption. The NSF/ANSI 53-2019 edition added a performance reduction claim for non-regenerable drinking water treatment devices that use anion exchange media for PFOA and PFOS chemicals.
The most recent edition, NSF/ANSI 53-2022, expanded the chemical reduction claims to include newer subclasses of PFAS compounds, such as PFHxS, PFNA, PFHpA, PFBS, and PFDA. Filters are certified to reduce contaminants that cause negative human health effects, which in this standard, are regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Health Canada.
“We are proud to certify Microfilter as the first client to the NSF/ANSI 53 for chemicals for Total PFAS reduction,” said Jinhee Kim, senior manager of water, at NSF. “PFOA and PFOS are among the most common groundwater contaminants of the perfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) family of chemicals. Manufacturers obtaining certification must reduce PFOA and PFOS concentrations in water to below the 70 parts per trillion (ppt) health advisory level set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). We anticipate that more water filter manufacturers will follow suit in certifying their products for Total PFAS reduction.”
