Black Berkey Purification Elements: Filtration Specifications
The Black Berkey Purification Elements far surpass other water filters in filtration capability as evidenced by their extensive filtration specifications. These elements have a specialized purification process that is due to their unique structure. The element's filtration media is a combination of micro-pores, which trap harmful contaminants like bacteria, and revolutionary material with adsorption and ion exchange properties that essentially attract molecules and viruses to the media, preventing them from passing into your drinking water.
Many water filters on the market may claim to be a purifier but do not meet the performance specifications required for this classification. In order to be classified as a water purifier, a water treatment device must remove at least 99.9999% of pathogenic bacteria (known as a log 6 reduction in the water treatment industry) and reduce viruses by 99.99% (log 4 reduction). Our Berkey system can be classified as a water purifier because the elements actually remove 99.9999999% of pathogenic bacteria (log 9 reduction) and 99.999% of viruses which greatly exceeds the standards.
The Black Berkey filters have been tested by several EPA-accredited laboratories including the Department of Toxicology and Environmental Science at Louisiana University, Spectrum Labs, and the University of Phoenix. This extensive testing confirmed that the Black Berkey Purification Elements far exceed EPA and ANSI/NSF (Std. 53) protocol.
The Black Berkey have been tested and confirmed to remove or greatly reduce the contaminants listed below.
Viruses: 99.999% reduction
MS2 Coliphage - Fr Coliphage
*Exceeds purification standards
Pathogenic Bacteria Surrogate: >99.9999%
Raoultella terrigena
*Exceeds purification standard (Log 6)
Trihalomethanes: Removed to below lab detectable limits >89.8% reduction
Bromodichloromethane, Bromoform, Chloroform, Dibromochloromethane
Inorganic Minerals: Removed to below lab detectable limits
Chlorine Residual (Total Residual Chlorine)
Heavy Metals: Greater than 95% reduction for most metals
Aluminum (> 75%). Antimony (>97.5%), Barium (>80%), Cadmium (>99.5%), Cobalt (>95%), Chromium (>95%), Chromium 6 (>99.85%), Copper (>95%), Lead (>97.5%), Mercury (>98%), Molybdenum (>90%), Nickel (>95%), Vanadium (>87.5%)
Volatile Organic Compounds: Removed to below lab detectable limits
Alachlor, Atrazine, Benzene, Carbofuran, Carbon Tetrachloride,
Chlorine, Chlorobenzene, Chloroform, 2 4-D, DBCP,
p-Dichlorobenzene, o-Dichlorobenzene, 1 1-Dichloroethane
1 2-Dichlorpethane, 1 1-Dichloroethylene, Cis-1 2-Dichloroethyiene
Trans-1 2-Dichloroethylene, 1 2-Dichloropropane
Cis-l 3-Dichloropropylene, Dinoseb, Endrin, Ethylbenzene
Ethylene Dibromide (EDB), Heptachlor, Heptachlor Epoxide
Hexachlorobutodlene, Hexachloro-, Cyclopentadlene, Lindane
Methoxychlor, MTBE, Pentachlorophenol, Simazine, Styrene
1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane, Tetrachloroethylene, Toluene
2,4,5-TP (Silvex), 1 2 4-trichlorobenzene, 1 1 1-trichloroethane
1 1 2-trichloroethane, Trichloroethylene, o-Xylene, m-Xylene
Also removes or reduces:
Arsenic (>99%), MBAS (>96.67%), Nitrites (>95%), Selenium (>97.5%), Thallium (>99.5%), as well as rust, silt, sediment, turbidity, foul taste and odors.
