The Environmental Working Group (EWG) tested 10 water filtration systems for their ability to remove 25 individual per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (better known as “PFAS”) from tap water. In the EWG’s tests, the Berkey water filter (equipped with Black Berkey filter elements) removed PFAS to undetectable levels, earning the system a place in the “Best Overall” category.
The Berkey water filter was also praised for its large capacity compared to other water filters tested, and its “exceptionally long filter life” (each pair of authentic Black Berkey filter elements can filter up to approximately 22,700 liters (11,350 liters each) of tap water before replacement is recommended). CBS News Philadelphia produced a news report on the EWG tests, in which the Berkey water filter is mentioned. You can watch it here. CBS Colorado also mentioned the Berkey water filter in a TV news segment about the EWG test, which you can watch here.
The EWG’s water filter test results were released a week after the United States Geological Survey (USGS) published its study showing that the drinking water of nearly half of U.S. households contains at least one type of PFAS. PFAS have been in use since at least the 1950s and have been linked to a wide range of health problems in humans, including certain types of cancer and developmental, metabolic, and immune disorders, among others. PFAS are called “forever chemicals” because they take a very long time to break down in the environment.
To protect yourself from PFAS in your drinking water, you need to make sure you have a final filtration system. Consider, for example, a Berkey water filter equipped with the powerful Black Berkey filter elements, which have been independently tested by accredited laboratories to remove perfluorinated chemicals to levels below the detection limit.
Read more:
- EWG: News Release | Guide to PFAS Water Filters
- CBS Colorado: Which Water Filters Can Block PFAS
- CBS News Philadelphia: Environmental Group Tests to Find the Best Water Filters for Removing PFAS
- New Study: “Forever Chemicals” Found in Nearly Half of U.S. Tap Water
- Do Black Berkey® Elements Remove PFAS and Other PFCs from Drinking Water?
- Black Berkey® Elements: The Final Barrier Against PFOA and Other PFCs in Drinking Water






