GE Refrigerator Water Filter is First to Remove Trace Pharmaceuticals Jul 25, 2012

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A new GE Appliances water filter, used in French door refrigerators, is engineered to remove 98% of five trace pharmaceuticals from water and ice.

GE calls the water filtration system a first-of-its-kind. It was tested and verified by an independent third party to remove 98% of five trace pharmaceuticals from water:
* ibuprofen
* atenolol
* fluoxetine
* progesterone
* trimethoprim

GE points to a 2010 study conducted by The Stevenson Co. for GE in which consumers rated the protection of their water supply as their number-one environmental concern. It also referenced a report that said in fiscal year 2010, 10% of all community water systems serving 23 million people sold water to consumers that violated at least one health-based EPA standard. An Associated Press investigation of tests conducted by water suppliers all over the country found low concentrations of dozens of pharmaceuticals in drinking water--including antibiotics, aspirin, blood pressure medications, and antidepressants.

"Water treatment plants do a great job of cleaning our water, but they can't always filter out all contaminants, and trace pharmaceuticals are left in the drinking water that comes into our homes," said John Boyd, refrigeration marketing manager for GE Appliances.

The company also designed the new filters to be easy to remove and replace. GE Profile and Cafe models now place the water filter on the door panel, allowing for quick filter replacement. A SmartOrder program allows consumers to set up automatic reorders so they receive water filters every six months.

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