Analysis of Black Berkey® Filter Tests
1. Extent of Tests Performed
The Black Berkey® filters have undergone extensive testing on a wide spectrum of contaminants, carried out by certified laboratories.
- Heavy metals: Proven reduction >99% on Arsenic, Lead, Mercury, Aluminum, etc.
- PFAS and perfluorinated compounds: >99.9% reduction in PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, etc.
- Microbiological pathogens: >99.9999% reduction in bacteria and >99.997% in viruses.
- Parasites : Cryptosporidium and Giardia eliminated by >99.994%.
- Pesticides and herbicides: >99.9% reduction on more than 75 chemical compounds.
- Radioactivity: 95.3% reduction for Beta and 98.7% for Alpha emissions.
- Uranium: 97% reduction.
2. Analysis Protocol and Volume Tested
The tests were carried out according to standards EPA, NSF/ANSI 42 & 53, and ISO 17025.
- Radioactivity tests: 50 gallons (~189 liters) tested.
- PFAS tests : 25 gallons (~95 liters) tested.
- Microbiological tests: Extreme conditions simulated, test validated.
- Heavy metals and pesticides tests: Filtration validated on high concentrations.
3. Comparison with other filters
| Criteria | Black Berkey® (Made in USA, 5 secret filtration media) | Weeplow O'Pure 2 (Made in China) | Coldstream FTO+ (Made in UK) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of contaminants tested | 200+ | ~50 | 50+ |
| Long-term saturation tests | ❌ No (Extrapolation to 22,000 L) | ❌ No (Tests on a few hundred liters) | ✅ Yes (1,500 L / 6 months) |
| Radioactivity tests | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| Tests on pathogens and viruses | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes (low volume) | ✅ Yes |
| Tests on PFAS | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes (without long-term validation) | ✅ Yes |
| Strong scientific validation | ✅ Yes (EPA, NSF, ISO 17025) | ❌ Tests limited | ✅ NSF Standards |
4. Conclusion
The Black Berkey® offer exceptional filtration on a wide spectrum of contaminants. However, no tests have been carried out over the entire announced lifespan (22,000 liters). Performance is proven on volumes tested in the laboratory, but longevity is based on extrapolation.
Final verdict: Berkey is one of the most efficient filters on the market, but the announced capacity of 22,000 liters remains an estimate.
Black Berkey filters are manufactured in United States and contain a secret formula integrating five filtration media. This explains why they are not produced in China, unlike Weeplow filters.
That said, Weeplow carbon filters have good filtering properties. You just need to find out about the advantages of activated carbon in filtration.
