SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mesofilter Inc., developer and manufacturer of innovative nanotechnology to filter heavy metals in water, today announced that global public health organization NSF International has certified the first drinking water pitcher to reduce arsenic to NSF/ANSI 53 - Drinking Water Treatment Units – Health Effects, an American National Standard for drinking water treatment units. This certification verifies that Mesofilter’s new product, the NanoNose Water Purifier, filters the water to reduce arsenic to below the health advisory levels set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and World Health Organization (WHO). The water filter technology also removes toxic lead and mercury in water.
“Arsenic in drinking water threatens public health in the U.S. and worldwide,” said Liangjie Dong, CEO Mesofilter and NanoNose inventor. “In California and Texas alone, there are 87 troubled sites with arsenic poisoning. In addition, the nation has become more aware of lead in drinking water. Our current water filter technology – for use in both home and industries -- removes arsenic, lead, and mercury in water. Our company’s focus is on developing next-generation nanotechnology and products to ensure that people around the world can access safe and affordable drinking water.”
According to WHO, more than 200 million people worldwide might be chronically exposed to arsenic in drinking water. Long-term exposure to arsenic in drinking water can lead to chronic arsenic poisoning. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has ranked arsenic as the highest substance priority on its list for more than 16 years.
“It has been a great challenge for conventional technologies to treat arsenic in drinking water as current solutions usually require complex chemical processes and toxic waste disposal post-treatment,” Dong added. “Thousands of engineers and scientists around the world are actively researching simple and affordable methods or materials to solve this global problem.” The Mesofilter arsenic filtration technology was researched, developed, and refined over a period of 12 years at the University of Hawaii with the collaboration of China Medical University in Shenyang, China. “Our technology solution came in a burst of an epiphany – the nose as the model for filtering out carcinogenic substances in a simplified way. We will continue to innovate the next-generation water filtration technology and products for personal and large-scale industries such as soil remediation, groundwater cleaning, nuclear wastewater cleanup, and air pollution caused by coal mining in our Silicon Valley headquarters.”
Arsenic is a naturally abundant element of the earth's crust. Most arsenic enters the drinking water supply either from natural deposits in the earth or from industrial and agricultural pollution. It is used in industry and agriculture and for other purposes. It also is a byproduct of nonferrous metal smelting, mining, and coal burning. It can appear in drinking water municipal systems but most often in private wells. Arsenic poisoning is usually observed in the skin, including pigmentation changes, skin lesions, and hard patches on the palms and soles of the feet. More importantly, long-term exposure can cause skin cancer, lung cancer, bladder cancer, liver cancer, and other cancers. Intake of high concentration arsenic can cause vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea; and can be followed by numbness and tingling of the extremities, muscle cramping, and death in extreme cases. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) defines arsenic as a Group I known carcinogen that also induces a wide array of other noncancer effects, leaving essentially no bodily system free from potential harm.
“NSF International continues to protect and improve public health by certifying products worldwide that help improve the quality of drinking water,” said Clif McLellan, Vice President of Water Systems at NSF International. “NSF’s certification of the NanoNose Pitcher Filter System and Midea-NanoNose filtration cartridge to the NSF/ANSI 53 means consumers now have a verified a solution to reduce pentavalent arsenic (or arsenic V) in their drinking water to 10 ppb which is set by the EPA and WHO.”
NSF International offers a listing of all certified products including the NanoNose Pitcher Filter System.
The NanoNose Water Purifier and Midea-NanoNose filtration cartridge offer consumers a solution when pentavalent arsenic is detected in drinking water. It is important to note that heating or boiling water during an arsenic contamination will not remove the arsenic. Arsenic concentrations can actually increase slightly as the water is boiled. Additionally, chlorine (bleach) disinfection will not remove arsenic from drinking water.
The EPA and WHO set an arsenic maximum contaminant level (MCL) for public water supplies at 0.010 mg/L. This is equivalent to 0.010 parts per million (ppm), or 10 micrograms/liter (µg/L), or 10 parts per billion (ppb). The NanoNose Water Purifier has been certified to NSF/ANSI 53 - Drinking Water Treatment Units – Health Effects to reduce pentavalent arsenic up to 50 ppb to at or below 10 ppb.
NSF International is a global independent organization that writes standards, and tests and certifies products for the water, food, health sciences and consumer goods industries to minimize adverse health effects and protect the environment (nsf.org). Founded in 1944, NSF is committed to protecting human health and safety worldwide. Operating in more than 165 countries, NSF International is a Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center on Food Safety, Water Quality and Indoor Environment.
NSF International led the development of the American National Standards for all materials and products that treat or come in contact with drinking water. In 1990, the U.S. EPA replaced its own drinking water product advisory program with these NSF standards. Today, most major plumbing codes require certification to NSF standards for pipes and plumbing components in commercial and residential buildings.
For more information on NSF International’s global filtration programs, contact Tina Yerkes, Director, General Manager, Water Systems at tyerkes@nsf.org or call +1-734-418-6596. Editor’s note: For media interested in more information or to request an interview please contact Liz Nowland-Margolis at media@nsf.org or +1 734-418-6624.
Mesofilter Inc., a social enterprise headquartered in San Jose, Calif., develops heavy metal filtration nanotechnology and products for safe water around the world. Its third-generation MesoNose technology for consumer and large-scale industrial use are manufactured in San Jose. The NanoNose Water Purifier, manufactured by Suzhou MicroCeramics Heavy Metals Filtration LTD in Suzhou, China, is available in the U.S. through www.mesofilter.com and in Hong Kong, www.microcermics.com.hk.
*Reference links for WHO, IARC and ATSDR
World Health Organization (WHO):
http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/92/8/13-128496/en/
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC):
http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Monographs/vol100C/
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR):
https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/spl/resources/1997_atsdr_substance_priority_list.html
