Laboratory test results for the Ultimate Star Filter® gravity water filter

Complete Ultimate Star Filter® water filter analyses

Our analysis protocol

To unequivocally guarantee the effectiveness of our filter and provide you with proof of this, we have carried out comprehensive analyses of the main pollutants likely to be found in your drinking water.

To carry out these analyses under optimum conditions, we have called on the services of two world-renowned laboratories. We applied the standards and protocols dedicated to this type of analysis, using appropriate concentrations. Indeed, many brands present analyses carried out with standards or concentrations that simplify the tests but can in no way be considered as relevant analyses.

WESSLING FRANCE part of ALS is an accredited laboratory with expertise in the fields of environmental safety and water. With 1,200 employees in Europe and 20,000 in the rest of the world, Wessling FRANCE ALS has a wealth of expertise that has enabled us to carry out the advanced analyses we required. WESSLING is ISO/IEC 17025 certified.

SGS is a world-class laboratory, present on every continent, with a competent department specialising in water analysis. With varied and complex processes, it was with them that we developed, among other things, the pathogen filtration test over the entire life of the 3,000-litre filter. SGS is ISO/IEC 17025 certified.

Our initial analyses have all yielded excellent results, and analyses on 3,200 litres are currently being carried out at our two partner laboratories, SGS and Wessling France, in order to definitively confirm the effectiveness of our filter over its lifetime. As these analyses take a long time to complete, we will publish the results on this page as and when we receive them.

The 6,000-litre lifespan of our filters has been validated by a specific analysis. You can find all the information on this subject on this page.

You can view the complete table of analyses at the following link, a summary of which is provided below. For details of each analysis, please refer to the list of pollutants provided after the summary table.

Summary table of analyses of the Star Water Filter gravity water filter

The choice of pollutants

Some filter brands have very long lists of pollutants, but the content of these lists is inconsistent. For example, we may find pesticides that are only likely to be found in the United States, or other pollutants that have no chance of being found in our groundwater in Europe.

For our part, we have consulted specialists and chemists to draw up a list of the pollutants most likely to be found in your drinking water, presenting a real health risk. This list is not exhaustive and will be added to as and when we discover new pollutants of concern. We will then carry out new analyses in order to remain proactive with regard to potential risks.

You will find below the pollutants tested, organised by category, together with the results of the analyses.

MICROBIOLOGY

In water, certain pathogenic organisms can develop and cause illnesses of varying degrees of severity. These include bacteria such as E.coli and salmonella. There may also be viruses, which our filter is effective against. These tests were carried out over the entire life of the filter, guaranteeing its effectiveness throughout its use.

Microbiology (test carried out on 3,000 litres)

HEAVY METALS

As a result of deteriorating pipes, or from natural or industrial pollution, the heavy metals present in water can have a more or less serious impact on our health when their concentration reaches a certain threshold. We have targeted the heavy metals that could present a potential danger and subjected them to the Ultimate Star Filter® filtration test to prove its effectiveness.

As heavy metals behave differently depending on the pH of the water, it is essential to carry out the analyses with different pH values in order to present relevant analyses. For example, heavy metals dissolve very well in rather acidic water (low pH), but precipitate on contact with neutral or basic water (high pH).

Many people don't bother with this detail, but at Star Water Filter®, we have chosen to multiply our tests with different pH levels to confirm that our filter is really effective.

Most molecules have been tested with a pH of 6.5 (acidic) and 8.5 (basic). Some heavy metals require a specific pH. This is the case for beryllium, iron and zinc, which we tested with a pH of 7.5.

Tests carried out with a pH of 6,5

Tests carried out with a pH of 8,5

Tests carried out with a pH of 7,5

PFAS

PFAS come from the manufacture of non-stick, waterproofing and stain-resistant materials. These dangerous substances are released not only into water, but also into the soil, the air, the ocean floor and even the Arctic regions, contaminating living organisms, including humans, in the process. They are now present in almost all of Europe, and degrade very slowly, over several centuries, some of them even millennia. They are classified as ‘persistent organic pollutants’, giving them the unfortunate name of ‘eternal pollutants’. Among the deleterious effects identified on health, they have a proven toxicity on the liver and kidneys. They are suspected of being carcinogenic, neurotoxic, reprotoxic and endocrine disrupters, and are also accused of promoting obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Some are even more worrying, such as PFOA, which is recognised as a ‘human carcinogen’, PFOS, which is recognised as a ‘possible carcinogen’, and PFHxA.

We have recently learned that TFA (trifluoroacetic acid), which is one of the PFASs and whose origin is the degradation of a pesticide widely used in Europe, is invading drinking water and soil almost systematically. This molecule, which is very small and complex to capture, is not often analysed. Nevertheless, we decided to pollute our test water with this poison, in order to check that our filter is really effective, even on this specific PFAS.

We concentrated our analyses on the most widespread and most toxic PFAS.

PFAS

PLASTIC DERIVATIVES

We know that plastic is everywhere. But what not everyone knows is that when plastics break down, the molecules they contain leach out, causing drinking water to become increasingly polluted. Among these dangerous molecules is Bisphenol A (or BPA), classified as a ‘substance of very high concern’, acting as an endocrine disruptor, but also having a wide range of impacts on human health.

Nonylphenol is a synthetic organic compound used in industry as a dispersant, emulsifier and detergent. It is also found in paints and certain cosmetic products such as shampoos, as well as in some household cleaners. Its presence is increasingly worrying, and the EEA (European Environment Agency) has stated that it is one of the products most frequently found in European rivers. This compound is an endocrine disruptor and carcinogen, because of its ability to significantly increase the risk of breast cancer.

Octyphenol is used in the composition of intermediates used in the manufacture of vehicle tyres, but is also used in the manufacture of insulating resins for electronic circuits. More generally, it is present in certain inks, many glues and marine paints. Like Nonylphenol, it is an organic pollutant classified as an endocrine disruptor, and is found in association with many suspended particles, as well as in freshwater and marine sediments. It is now found in human fatty tissue and breast milk, with a health risk similar to that of Nonylphenol.

The major problem is that a large proportion of these molecules pass through wastewater treatment plants undegraded or incompletely degraded, and end up in our drinking water.

Plastic derivatives

CHLORINE AND DERIVATIVES

Chlorine is used as a disinfectant in drinking water before it is distributed. Its concentration is regulated and normally limited to 0.1 mg/litre. This concentration applies to ‘free residual chlorine’, the quantity of chlorine that remains after it has recombined with other molecules or been broken down. Under certain conditions, such as an epidemic (COVID), this concentration may be higher.

If residual chlorine is present in your drinking water, it has the disadvantage of having an unpleasant odour and taste, which can cause an imbalance in the intestinal flora, leading to digestive problems in some sensitive individuals. But beyond that, by combining with organic matter, chlorine can produce chlorinated by-products, such as chloroform, which is suspected of increasing the risk of developing bladder or rectal cancer.

Chloramine can be present in drinking water if it is used as a disinfectant. But it can also be produced unintentionally when there is contact between the chlorine used in water treatment and natural ammonia, which is also often present in drinking water. Although chloramine does not, on the face of it, present a health hazard, the smell and taste it imparts to water is not pleasant.

Chlorine and derivatives

DRUG RESIDUES

In recent years, we have witnessed an alarming deterioration in the quality of drinking water, marked by systematic and worrying contamination with drug residues. So we've taken the time to look into this particular subject. It is quite impossible to test all the residual molecules linked to drugs, because there are so many of them. We have therefore selected a few based on studies carried out across Europe to identify drug residues found in drinking water. We have chosen to test molecules of different types, representative of the samples we find in drinking water sources. Many of the molecules associated with certain types of drug are quite similar to each other. If the efficacy of one drug is proven, we know by extension that it will also be effective for a group of similar molecules.

Even if the concentration of drugs in water remains low, there are toxic effects on the human body due to the chronic nature of exposure. Combined with the risks of accumulation in the food chain and in the human body, this is a potential cocktail effect.

Here is the list of drugs tested with our filter, grouping together the various categories and molecules among those most commonly found in drinking water.

Amoxicillin, Erythromycin (antibiotics): antibiotics are consumed in ever-greater quantities throughout the world, and a large proportion of them are released into the environment. These molecules can bypass water treatment processes and end up directly in your tap water. They have a direct impact on our health and contribute to antibiotic resistance, a real problem worldwide.

Carbamazepine (treatment of epilepsy, neuropathic analgesic and psychotropic drug used as a mood regulator in cases of schizophrenia or for the treatment of bipolar people): this molecule is one of those most frequently found in raw water, but also in treated water.

Primidone (anti-epileptic)

Diaezpam (anxiolytic): a widespread treatment, the molecules of which are found in tap water.

Diclofenac, Ibuprofen, Naproxen (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs): in the same way as antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, the use of which is on the increase, are regularly found in water analyses.

Gemfibrozyl (anti-cholesterol)

Paracetamol (analgesic): 

this molecule is one of the most frequently found in raw water.

Sulfamethoxazole, Trimethoprim (anti-infectives)

HORMONES / ENDOCRINE DISRUPTORS

Estradiol is an oestrogen, the female sex hormone. It is considered potentially dangerous as an endocrine disruptor in the environment, where its presence is considered to be a residue of human (or veterinary) medicines.

Ethinylestradiol is a synthetic derivative of estradiol. It is the most widely used oestrogen in the world and is found in almost all modern formulations of contraceptive pills. This synthetic oestrogen is excreted in urine and faeces and is therefore released into the environment. While we do not yet know the precise consequences of this pollution, we do know that it is present in almost all the world's major rivers and in surface waters.

Hormones

PESTICIDES / HERBICIDES

In the same way as drug residues, the subject of pesticides and herbicides in drinking water is a worrying one. The use of these products by conventional agriculture has increased dramatically over the last few years. The result is systematic pollution of rivers and water tables, with deleterious effects on the environment.

Numerous studies now prove that these products and their metabolites are dangerous to human health.

To check the effectiveness of our Ultimate Star Filter® on these products, we have carried out targeted analyses. Hundreds of molecules exist and are widespread in the environment. It is therefore impossible to test them all. We have concentrated our study on those that are most present in water and that present a proven danger to human health. As with drug residues, we assume that a large number of the molecules used in these treatment products are chemically quite similar. If the filter is effective on one molecule, it is equally effective on similar molecules.

Aldrin is a chlorinated insecticide that is non-biodegradable and considered to be a persistent organic pollutant, one of the extremely hazardous substances listed by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It has been used for over 25 years to kill insects in crops, forests and industry, and is widely used as a pesticide on maize and citrus crops. Although these chemicals have not been manufactured or approved for use since 1990, they are still found today in soil and water, due to their persistence.

Dieldrin is an organochlorine insecticide, very similar to aldrin, which was used as an alternative to DDT before its extreme toxicity and persistence in the natural environment (it is considered a persistent organic pollutant) were discovered. Its use was banned in many countries in the 1990s, but despite these bans, its widespread use is still leading to the pollution of many former agricultural and market garden areas.

DDD (dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane) is an organochlorine insecticide that crosses the placenta and has been found in breast milk. Although also banned in many countries for a very long time, it is still found in the environment because of its persistence.

DDT (Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) is used for its insecticidal and acaricidal properties and is fast becoming the most widely used insecticide in the world. It is sprayed in fields and homes and used to combat various arthropod vectors of diseases such as malaria, typhus and bubonic plague. Banned in many countries since the 1970s, traces of it are still found today because of its high persistence.

DDE (dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene) is one of the most common breakdown products of DDT.

Endosulfan is an active substance used in certain plant protection products for its insecticidal effect. Banned in over 80 countries today because of its toxicity to human health, and banned in Europe since 2005, it is still found in drinking water.

Endrin was mainly used for its insecticidal properties on tobacco, apple trees and cereals. Listed as one of the 12 persistent organic pollutants since May 2004, its use is regulated.

Heptachlor is an organochlorine insecticide used mainly against soil insects and termites, and as a mosquito repellent to combat malaria. It is also one of the 12 major pollutants worldwide, because of its toxicity, which causes liver damage in humans. It is suspected of causing cancer.

Lindane is a very broad-spectrum organochlorine insecticide with numerous applications in agriculture as a pesticide, in wood protection, but also in veterinary medicine and public health. It is a neurotoxin that in humans mainly affects the nervous system, liver and kidneys, and may be a carcinogen and endocrine disruptor.

Methoxychlor is an insecticide used to protect crops and ornamental plants, as well as livestock and pets, against fleas, mosquitoes and other insects. Originally intended to replace DDT, it was banned in the European Union in 2002 due to its acute toxicity.

Le pentachloronitrobenzene (quitozene) is a fungicide.

Chlordane is an organochlorine insecticide that has been banned in the European Union since 1981. Its persistence in the environment is such that it is still very present, even after many years, and can cause problems for the nervous system, digestive system and liver.

Chlorothalonil is used as a fungicidal pesticide and as an anti-germinant. It is one of the organochlorines derived from benzene. It has been banned by the European Union in 2019. In France, a study by the Anses (French health and safety agency) revealed that one of its metabolites (R471811) was found in concentrations of over 0.1 µg/L in 34% of water samples analysed.

Atrazine is one of the most widely used herbicides in the world, due to its low cost. It was banned in the European Union in 2003. In 2007, a report published by INSERM (the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research) blamed atrazine as a potential cause of certain types of prostate cancer and breast cancer.

Imidacloprid is a pesticide in the neonicotinoid family, the most widely used insecticides in the world, and has been used extensively in agriculture since the early 1990s. These molecules have recently been shown to contaminate soil, water, plants, pollen and air. Imidacloprid, for example, is over 7,000 times more toxic to bees than DDT, which is already highly toxic.

Metolachlor is used as a selective herbicide. It is one of the pesticides most frequently found in groundwater. It is considered a potential endocrine disruptor, for animals or humans, via drinking water or inhalation, or even by ingestion as a pesticide residue. Although banned in France since 2003, it is still found in water and air in the form of its breakdown products.

Glyphosate is a total herbicide. It is the best-selling weedkiller in the world, sprayed on millions of hectares of land every year. Since 2015, it has been classified as ‘probably carcinogenic’. Although glyphosate is reputed to have low mobility in soil and to be rapidly degradable, numerous studies show that it is nevertheless increasingly present in surface water, groundwater and coastal waters.

AMPA (aminomethylphosphonic acid) is a widespread breakdown by-product of glyphosate. Its widespread use leads to the almost systematic presence of AMPA in the environment, particularly in water.

Glufosinate is an organophosphorus compound found in a number of non-selective contact herbicides.

Chlordecone is a toxic, ecotoxic and persistent organochlorine insecticide. This insecticide has been widely used in the French West Indies to combat banana weevils. It is considered non-biodegradable. Its lifespan in soil is estimated at between 250 and 650 years. Used until 1993 in the French West Indies, we now know that it will take several decades, even centuries, before it is no longer present in West Indian soils. Even more worryingly, as chlordecone breaks down, it produces metabolites that are just as toxic and dangerous, present not only in the soil but also in the water.

It is accused of causing a number of cancers, including liver cancer and prostate cancer.

VOCS

VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, are found in gaseous form in the earth's atmosphere. They are involved in photochemical reactions in the atmosphere, causing an increase in ozone concentrations with various health effects, such as an increase in cases of asthma. Some VOCs are harmful to animal and plant species, and the increase in ozone has an effect on climate change by causing an increase in the earth's global temperature. VOCs are also adsorbed onto clay or silt and then transferred to water, affecting the quality of drinking water.

Benzene: Benzene is an organic compound used largely as an intermediate in the synthesis of other compounds such as rubber, solvents, plasticisers, detergents, food additives, certain medicines, pesticides, explosives, etc... It is carcinogenic and genotoxic. It is found in groundwater.

Toluene : Toluene is an aromatic hydrocarbon, commonly used as a reagent or solvent. It is found in some petroleum fuels and is used in the manufacture of paints, varnishes, lacquers, waxes and inks, as well as in some adhesives and glues. It is harmful to the central nervous system (brain, spinal cord) and, like benzene, can contaminate groundwater by leaching.

VOCS

VOCs (Volatile Organic Halogenated Compounds) are known for their persistence in the environment and their ability to migrate to groundwater, with the risk of contaminating drinking water sources. They are carcinogenic and disrupt the human endocrine system.

Among these VOCs, vinyl chloride is very widespread, being used in the manufacture of PVC through its polymerisation. Its presence in the water network is due to industrial pollution, but also to the deterioration of PVC pipes.

VOCS

MICROPLASTICS

Microplastics are small particles of plastic less than 5 millimetres in size. This debris is dispersed in the environment and accumulates to a worrying degree in soils, rivers, lakes and the marine environment. These particles have contaminated all ecosystems and all levels of the food chain. In 2018, Greenpeace found them in almost all the snow samples taken in Antarctica. In 2019, in an isolated and protected area in the mountains, at an altitude of 1,400 metres, more than 300 tiny pieces of plastic were counted per square metre.

In 2019, the WWF published a study showing that an individual could ingest up to 5 grams of plastic per week , 90% of which comes from tap or bottled water and almost 10% from seafood. That's equivalent to the weight of a bank card.

Although the impact on the human body is not yet well known, we do know that microplastics increase the risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, testicular cancer and Alzheimer's disease, and accumulate in the liver and even the brain.

Microplastics