We are always looking for real solutions to various water problems, including removing chloramines from the shower water. We have looked at vitamin C but so far the science and math doesn’t add up. High dosages of vitamin C can remove low levels of Chlorine. About 1000mg of Vitamin C is required to neutralize 50 gallons of water with 1ppm. For chloramines, a contact time of at least 4-8 minutes is required. Another aspect to consider is that filling a vessel with acidic material is a potential liability to the corrosive properties. We try to keep an open mind to making improvements but want to be sure to accurately represent the performance of our products.

The U.S. Forestry Department and the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission have determined that 1000 mg (1 gram) of pure Ascorbic Acid is required to remove 1ppm of chloramine in a medium-size (50 gallon) bathtub, if allowed to sit for 4-8 minutes. The contact time alone negates the use of filtering chloramine from water flowing at the high rates found in a shower. Even so, for every day of usage a filter would have to inject 1 gram of pure Ascorbic Acid into the shower water stream. There is no shower filter that can do that and, if it did, the lowered pH would corrode the shower stall as well as the fittings.

• Due to the higher vaporization point of chloramine, it does not vaporize from the shower water as free chlorine will. Since the shower water is not being ingested, exposure to chloramine is minimal as it is only topical or at the skin level. The skin does not absorb chloramine.
• If the shower water contains chloramine, it will also contain free chlorine which is a by-product of chloramine (free chlorine + ammonia = chloramine). It is the free chlorine that vaporizes in air at room temperature so in a shower chlorine is inhaled into the lungs where passes directly into the blood system. So it is important to use a high quality shower filter to remove free chlorine even if chloramine is present.

Chloramine and outrageous claims aside, vitamin C shower filters have a very low filter life and can only remove low levels of chlorine. In order to remove chlorine, ascorbic acid must be dissolved into the shower stream and after a very short period of time the filter media is depleted. Proof in point – There has never been a vitamin C shower filter capable of being certified to meet NSF Standard 177 for Shower Filtration. However, all Sprite core shower filters are NSF Certified.

Information source: Sprite Industries, Inc. October 2015