RO is short for reverse osmosis. It’s a fancy water filter system. Think of it as a bouncer for your drinking glass.
It forces water through a super-tight membrane. Only tiny water molecules get through. Everything else—salts, metals, and yes, PFAS—gets told to scram.
The magic number? That membrane has pores about 0.0001 microns wide. For context, a human hair is about 70 microns wide. That’s like stopping a hippo with a microscopic tennis racket.
Does it actually work on PFAS?
Short answer: Yes. Very yes. Long answer: It’s amazing, but not perfect—yet it’s your best bet.
Studies show RO can remove 90% to 99% of PFAS. That’s a chemical knockout. Even the pesky short-chain PFAS—the ones that laugh at other filters—get booted.
But here’s the quirky catch: RO systems are thirsty. They waste a lot of water. For every gallon of clean water, you might dump three gallons down the drain. It’s like a diva that needs backup dancers.
