I recall previous discussions here regarding the Big Berkey water filters, which claim to remove substantial portions of industrial chemicals.

Here is a listing of their claimed results: http://www.bigberkeywaterfilters.com/black-berkey-filters-2.html

Any thoughts regarding the veracity of such claims?

Here is a pretty extensive overview of various water treatment options and real-life application:
http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/epublic/live/ec703/build/ec703.pdf

Sounds like in many cases at least a two-stage process would be needed to purify heavily contaminated water. Also, each treatment method has various practical limtiations. For example, an activated carbon filter is effective at removing many organic compounds, but only as long as its capacity isn't exceeded. Once that happens, the filter will no longer work and may in fact begin to release the previously accumulated contaminants back into the water.

The claims sound truthful ...
with your typical caveats/lies included (ex 0 calorie per serving might be 0.5 kcal)
they're just leaving out the important part,
it only removes tiny tiny tiny tiny trace amounts of contaminants in city water
The kinds of trace amounts that show up on your city water quality report --
if water is too dirty (like car goes into reservoir), the city switches sources, they don't try to filter it

Its like refrigerator filters, sure if there is a boil water order your filter might help, but mostly what they do is improve taste

if there is a flood/storm... and a full tank of gasoline goes into your swimming pool ... your water filter might get you a gallon if you're lucky

Just to give you an idea, I read a filter lab report last year, a bacteria/virus and carbon + other stuff filter that could remove diesel/gasoline ,
good for 1000 liters,
can you guess how much diesel/gasoline it removes?
less than one teaspoon
0.04531 fl oz (fluid ounces) , 0.2719 tsp/teaspoons, 0.09062 tbsp (tablespoons)
0.08487 fl oz (fluid ounces), 0.50922 tsp/teaspoons, 3.9 x volume of a (plain) M&M candy (0.64 cubic centimeters)
So filter could handle 1 gram diesel + 1 gram gasoline + 1 gram pesticides in 1000 liters of water
They spiked the test water with 1mg/L gasoline but their testing threshold is 0.2 mg/L, so there could have been 0.19 mg/L gasoline left

FWIW, activated biocharcoal is not too hard to make

They accumulate in various organs, but mainly the liver. Those who handle organic solvents in their work are often at greater risk of liver disease, especially if the exposure was years ago before modern workplace safety standards.

(this is also true of animals, some authorities advise against eating the liver of livestock raised in non optimum conditions)

In Europe and presumably elsewhere there is considerable concern about "volatile organic compounds" entering the environment and various restrictions exist on uses.
Levels of VOCs in paints and varnishes for example have been reduced, and it has been suggested that water based rather than solvent based products be used where possible.

Perchloroethylene (perc) is a solvent used for dry cleaning and many other purposes. Unless inhaled or ingested in large quantities it was considered low risk, but is now considered dangerous in the long term.
Most organic solvents are not readily mixed with water (try mixing gasoline and water !)They do however dissolve in water in minute quantities.
An activated carbon filter will remove such contamination, although a typical filter can only remove minute quantities, this is fine in practice as only minute quantities CAN be dissolved in water,
In the example given of a car crashing into a reservoir, almost all of the gasoline would float to the surface and evaporate. Only a minute trace would dissolve in the water.

adam

thank you. yes I remember perchloroethylene. but it has been years and years since I spent any time with organic solvents.

I often wonder about all these women who work in Nail Salons - giving manicures to people. their stores are absolutely filled with vapors from acetone. the exposure must be enormous.

I had a father-in-law who died from a very rare problem with the nervous system. he exposed himself a few times to large amounts of insecticide when he was a young man. I definitely believe that the problem in his later years was caused by that early exposure.

are there any ways to get the toxins out of the liver?

Pete

Yup, but how much of "minute trace" is the question

Lots of household toxic chemicals evaporate or are broken down by sunshine/nature relatively quickly
but I haven't seen anyone recommend "wait two weeks then filter that stuff and drink it", the recommendation is usually switch to bottled water.

The local office of the state EPA might IF they have an on-sight lab.

That's a great resource. Thanks for posting it!