WASHINGTON, May 16, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The
Association for Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) conducted a
study of counterfeit refrigerator water filters that revealed an
overwhelming failure to remove harmful contaminants from water.
Consumer safety is a top priority for AHAM, so it's raising
awareness of the problem with counterfeit water filters through a
consumer education campaign called, "Filter It Out."
Counterfeit refrigerator water filters pose a serious risk to
consumer health and safety. In recent years, counterfeits have
flooded online marketplaces. The goal of AHAM's campaign is to
educate consumers about the importance of using filters that meet
industry standards, and provide information and resources to find
the right filter for your refrigerator.
It is incredibly difficult for consumers and even experts at
U.S. Customs and Border Protection to spot counterfeit filters –
and they are widespread online. The use of fraudulently copied
trademarks, branding and misleading claims make the filters look
legitimate; and while the water may look, smell or taste fine,
human senses cannot always detect microbial and organic
contaminants lurking in the water that can seriously harm a
consumer's health and wellbeing.
The study sought to determine if counterfeit filters met
industry standards for health and safety related claims. Tests were
conducted at three independent labs to assess counterfeit filters'
efficacy at removing lead, cysts and other contaminants.
Of the randomly selected and tested counterfeit filters:
- Of the 32 filters tested for removal of lead, 100% failed to
meet NSF/ANSI standards to two times the life cycle (200% of the
rated or specified capacity), which is notable since most consumers
do not replace their filters at the required six-month mark.
- No counterfeit filter removed live cysts to the standards of
NSF/ANSI 53, despite lowering the testing threshold from 99.95
percent removal to 90 percent.
- During the extraction test, ten separate compounds over the
total allowable concentration were introduced into clean sample
water by counterfeit filters.
The report highlights the inferior quality and dangers of
counterfeit water filters sold online, and the importance of
purchasing filters sold by a refrigerator manufacturer that
requires its products to meet NSF/ANSI Drinking Water Treatment
standards.
To read the full report summary, or for more information, visit
www.FilterItOut.org/see-the-proof.
The Association of Home Appliance
Manufacturers (AHAM) is the trade association representing
manufacturers of major, portable and floor care home appliances and
suppliers to the industry. AHAM is headquartered in Washington, D.C. and maintains an office in
Ottawa. AHAM is the single voice providing the home appliance
industry and its customers leadership, advocacy and a forum for
action — developing and implementing credible solutions for public
policy, standards and business decisions. You can visit AHAM's web
sites at http://www.aham.org
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SOURCE Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM)