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CU grads invent water filter that targets hormones

Hormones in the water are bad for our health
Posted at 2:45 PM, Sep 17, 2016
and last updated 2016-09-17 17:09:51-04

BOULDER, Colo. -- Do you think about what is in your water, before you take a drink?

Two pre-med graduates at the University of Colorado are so concerned, they have designed a new kind of water filter. Their filter, "Noestra", filters out potentially harmful hormones, like estrogen, in the water.

"The sewage filtration systems right now don't filter out these pollutants," said Noestra creator Elizabeth Eversbusch. 

Hormones can get into the water by seeping out of of landfills, through human and livestock waste, and industry waste.  A filter like Brita won't get rid of hormones.  An expensive reverse osmosis filtration system will, but Noestra is designed to be an affordable alternative -- and well worth that price, considering the impact hormones can have on our health.

"Over time, we’ve found those hormonal balances really do add up and it does have a serious effect on your overall well-being," co-creator Emma Jacobs said.

And if you need evidence that hormones are indeed messing with our natural balance, consider what the Noestra creators found when they tested water from the Boulder Creek.

"This is what usually scares people," says Eversbusch. "You can measure the amount of hormone by semester. So in the fall and spring it’s pretty high, and when all the students leave in the summer it’s much lower."

In fact, male fish in the creek have been *feminized* by estrogen in the water. The Noestra water filter won’t save the fish, but it could give you some peace of mind before you take your next drink.

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