It's no surprise that we get this question all the time, simply because drinking water can contain a wide range of contaminants. What may be found in one family's well water may not be the same as what's found in an individual's city water. So what exactly does a Berkey filter out?
Replacement Filters for Berkey Systems
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103.00
What contaminants can a Berkey water filter remove?
Independent lab tests have shown that a Berkey water filtration system fitted with the standard Black Berkey filter elements can remove over 200 common drinking water contaminants, including toxic heavy metals such as lead, mercury, and aluminum. A broad spectrum of these contaminants are removed at levels exceeding the EPA 7 ANS/ISF (Std 53) protocol. A basic overview of some common contaminants a Berkey water filter system removes is listed below.
What does Berkey filter out?
Arsenic
Arsenic is a naturally occurring contaminant that can leach into drinking water from rocks and soils. It can also get into drinking water sources from human activities. Either way, it is not something you want to be exposed to and it can have negative health impacts, especially after long-term exposure. The Black Berkey filters remove >99% of arsenic, and if arsenic poses a problem in your water, this can be increased further by adding a set of PF-2 fluoride and arsenic filters to the lower chamber of the system.
BPA
Bisphenol A (BPA) is an endocrine disruptor that is used in the manufacture of certain plastics, including some drinking water bottles. Berkey removes >99.9% of BPA.
Cadmium
Black Berkey elements filter out 99.7% of Cadmium, a toxic heavy metal commonly found in drinking water.
Chlorine
A Berkey water purification system, such as the popular Big Berkey, can remove chlorine to below detectable limits, as well as harmful disinfection byproducts that form when chlorine reacts with organic matter in water. A Berkey shower filter can remove 95% of chlorine, which will keep your skin, hair, eyes, and respiratory system healthy when taking a shower.
Chromium 6
A Berkey water system will remove 99.8% of chromium 6 (hexavalent). Find out more about the dangers associated with chromium 6, how it gets into drinking water, and why you should remove it.
Fluoride
Fluoride is routinely added to drinking water whether you agree or not. If you want to remove fluoride, a Berkey fluoride water filter fitted into the lower chamber of your system will remove up to 97% of fluoride from water, reducing your exposure to this contaminant. Learn more about the debate raging over fluoride in drinking water here.
Glyphosate
A Berkey water purifier will remove more than 75% (the reporting limit of the lab testing equipment) of glyphosate, a carcinogenic herbicide commonly used in agriculture that ends up in freshwater systems and ultimately drinking water supplies.
Lead and other Heavy Metals
Berkey removes >99.9% of lead and other heavy metals such as mercury, copper, iron, and manganese. Lead is a toxic heavy metal that is particularly prevalent in drinking water systems. Learn more about lead in tap water and how to remove it.
Minerals
A Berkey will remove harmful pollutants while leaving in the beneficial minerals that are essential for our health, with one exception: zinc. While zinc is a beneficial mineral essential to our health, it is found in a wide range of foods and is therefore removed to prevent consumers from ingesting too much zinc, which can be detrimental to our health.
Nitrites
Berkey removes >95% of nitrites but does not remove nitrates.
Pesticides
If you filter water with a Berkey >99.9% of all toxic herbicides and pesticides will be removed.
Petroleum Contaminants
Berkey reduces petroleum pollutants (including crude oil, diesel, gasoline, kerosene, mineral spirits, and refined oil) by more than 99.9%.
PFAS
Berkey has been tested to remove >99.9% of Perfluorochemicals (PFAS). Learn more about PFAS in drinking water supplies here.
Pharmaceutical Drugs
Your Berkey system will remove >99.5% of pharmaceutical drugs (such as acetaminophen, bisphenol-A, caffeine, diclofenac sodium, ibuprofen, naproxen, progesterone, triclosan, and more) from water.
Trihalomethanes (THMs)
Berkey will remove trihalomethanes (disinfection byproducts), such as bromodichloromethane, bromoform, chloroform, and dibromochloromethane, to undetectable levels. Learn more about THMs and their associated health risks.
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
A Berkey water filter is capable of removing an extensive list of VOCs, including atrazen, benzene, dieldrin, tetrachloromethane, and much much more to below lab detectable limits.
Why choose a Berkey water filter system?
Berkey water filters have been purposefully designed to remove a wide range of harmful contaminants from water while leaving in the beneficial minerals our bodies need. Compare what the Berkey removes to other competing brands on the market and you will quickly realize that most of the competition is not even close in terms or performance and cost-effectiveness.
The Black Berkey filters that come standard with every sytems can be found here. For a full listing overview of what the Black Berkey filters remove from the water, please visit the Black Berkey Detailed Contaminant Removal Page. Links to Certified Independent Test Results of the PF-2 Fluoride Filters and the Black Berkey Filter Elements can be found here.
