The following information on the potential removal of estrogen by the Black Berkey® Purification Elements was provided by the manufacturer of the Berkey® products, New Millennium Concepts, Ltd. @ berkeywater.com:
What are estrogenic compounds?
“Estrogenic compounds are part of a larger category of chemicals known as endocrine-disruptors (EDCs), chemicals that can alter the hormonal and homeostatic systems enabling an organism—like a human being or other animal—to communicate with and respond to its environment.” (original link at http://www.arhp.org/publications-and-resources/contraception-journal/august-2011)
What types of estrogen are found in drinking water?
“The major types of estrogen found in our water supply include estrone, estradiol, estriol, and the synthetic ethinylestradiol from medications like the oral contraceptive pill….The trouble however, is that many of the other more than 100,000 chemicals in wastewater effluent also have an estrogenic effect on our bodies. These include dihydrofolliculin, octylphenol, nonylphenol, polyethoxylates, trihalomethanes and bisphenol A.” http://chestsculpting.com/how-to-remove-estrogen-from-your-drinking-water/
One of the most common potential contaminants of concern is “ethynyl-estradiol, or EE2, a synthetic estrogen used in birth control pills, patches, rings, and injectables.” (original link at http://www.arhp.org/publications-and-resources/contraception-journal/august-2011)
Where can I find a list of brand and generic names for EE2?
A list of common names/brands of EE2 can be found here: https://www.drugs.com/international/ethinylestradiol.html Note on this list, that Medroxyprogesterone is listed. This is a form of Progesterone.
How can I remove/reduce estrogen from my drinking water?
“In general, activated carbon filters are your best choice if you are on a tight budget. They remove a wide range of different contaminants, including steroid estrogens and many estrogenic substances like trihalomethanes.” http://chestsculpting.com/how-to-remove-estrogen-from-your-drinking-water/
“Estrogens (estron: E1; estradiol: E2; estriol: E3) are major water pollutants. For the removal of estrogens, activated carbon (AC) and ozone treatments were employed, and the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and pH of a single solution and multiple solution systems were investigated. The removal of estrogens increased with the amount of AC. The percentage of removed estrogens by AC in the single solution system was greater than that in the ternary solution system.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22123241
Do the Black Berkey® purification elements remove estrogen from water?
Black Berkey® purification elements have been successfully tested for reduction of several EDC’s; including Progesterone, Octylphenol, Nonylphenol, THMs and BPA. And, while estrogen and EE2 have not been specifically tested, the assumption is that these contaminants will also be removed from water, based on the reduction testing conducted on similar EDC’s. Read test results here.
While existing testing strongly indicates that the Black Berkey® purification elements will reduce estrogen, based on currently available information, NMCL does not have specific test data to that end. As such, we do not make a claim that the elements will reduce estrogen, only that indications are strong that Black Berkey® purification elements should do so.
New Millennium ALWAYS recommends that you use the cleanest source of water available; however, we understand that during emergencies, a clean source of water may not be available.
