ClarivoDo RO Filters Remove PFAS?
PFAS — short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, and nicknamed "forever chemicals" — are a family of man-made compounds that have been used since the 1940s in things like non-stick cookware, waterproof fabrics, and firefighting foam. They don't break down easily in the environment, which is how they've ended up detectable in trace amounts in water supplies in various parts of the UK and further afield.
The short answer to the headline question: reverse osmosis is one of the few residential filtration methods actually capable of reducing PFAS, because of how fine the membrane is. RO membranes work by forcing water through a semi-permeable barrier fine enough to block particles and dissolved compounds far smaller than a standard carbon filter can catch — which is exactly the size range PFAS molecules fall into.
Why not every filter manages this
A single carbon cartridge — the kind in most jug filters and fridge-door filters — is built to handle chlorine taste and some larger particles. It's not designed to strip out dissolved compounds at the molecular level, which is why PFAS reduction is specifically associated with RO membranes (and certain specialist carbon block stages) rather than filtration in general.
This is also why we don't rely on a single stage to do everything. On a Clarivo system, sediment and carbon stages handle the larger, more obvious stuff first — dirt, chlorine, taste — so the membrane isn't doing unnecessary work and lasts longer. The membrane itself is what's rated for PFAS, along with lead, fluoride and microplastics.
The honest caveat
Removal rates depend on the specific membrane, how well it's maintained, and your source water. That's not a get-out clause — it's just how filtration works. Any manufacturer's percentage figure is based on their own certified testing, which is why we always recommend asking to see that data rather than taking a headline number at face value. We can show you the specification for the systems we install as part of your free water test.