Activated carbon filters generally do not remove bacteria. While they are good at removing chlorine and sediment and improving taste and odor, they are not designed to filter out bacteria, viruses, or other microbial contaminants. Some activated carbon filters are specifically treated with agents such as silver ions to inhibit bacterial growth within the filter itself, but they do not actively remove bacteria from the water.
Carbon filters can be used as point-of-entry (POE) systems to filter the entire house, or as point-of-use (POU) filters to clean water before drinking or cooking. Refrigerator water filters often contain a combination of sediment removal and carbon filtration. Some showerheads feature carbon filtration to prevent the negative effects of chlorine on skin and hair. Carbon filters are also part of reverse osmosis or ultrafiltration (UF) systems. Carbon filters added to UF systems can reduce organic and chemical particulate matter, while also reducing lead.
