Some Bathroom Filter Showerheads Show 'Insufficient' Residual Chlorine Removal Performance

Korea Consumer Agency, Results of Investigation on 20 Products

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] Filter showerhead products used in bathrooms claim to have residual chlorine removal effects, but some products have been found to have insufficient removal performance contrary to their advertisements.

On the 30th, the Korea Consumer Agency announced that among 20 bathroom filter showerhead products sold on online shopping malls, 7 products showed a residual chlorine removal rate of less than 80%. This investigation followed the water purification performance test method specified in the "Water Purifier Standards, Specifications, and Designated Testing Institutions Notice." In the water purification performance test, a residual chlorine removal rate of 80% or higher is considered to indicate water purification performance.

All products surveyed emphasized the residual chlorine removal effect on their online sales pages, and some even used expressions such as "100% removal." Among the 7 products with insufficient residual chlorine removal rates, 6 products had no supporting evidence such as test reports to verify their residual chlorine removal performance. The remaining 1 product had a test report claiming a 100% residual chlorine removal rate, but its performance was found to be insufficient. The Consumer Agency recommended that the sellers of these 7 products revise the labeling and advertising on their sales pages, and the respective businesses responded that they would make improvements.

Additionally, water supply materials or products that come into contact with water, such as faucets, must obtain KC certification according to hygiene and safety standards. However, bathroom filter showerheads, despite being water supply products, are not subject to KC certification, and there are no performance standards for water supply products using filters. Considering these points, the Consumer Agency plans to request the Ministry of Environment to mandate KC certification for bathroom filter showerheads and to establish performance standards for water supply products using filters.