Black Berkey® Elements

The composition of the Black Berkey® elements used in Berkey® water purifiers is a unique formulation protected by a patent. It is based on the mix of six different and specific types of media, which includes high-quality activated carbon. Compiled in a very compact matrix containing millions of microscopic pores, they create a "tortuous path" through which water can pass, but contaminants cannot. These channels are so thin that all undesirable elements are inevitably trapped. With a process of absorption and adsorption, submicron viruses are also blocked, something other water filters cannot do without the use of chemicals.

The cylinder of activated carbon is impregnated with an ion-exchange resin. The activated carbon adsorbs or chemically binds to organic compounds, such as solvents and petroleum-based fuels, a large number of pesticides, and numerous pharmaceuticals. The ion-exchange resin eliminates many dissolved metals from the water by exchanging toxic heavy metals (like lead, mercury, and cadmium) for lighter and inoffensive metals (like sodium, the main component of table salt). All this enables a comprehensive and highly efficient filtration.

Additionally, the manufacturer Berkey® New Millennium Concept Ltd. confirms that graphene oxide is not used in the composition of Black Berkey® filters.

More details can be found on the page explaining the functioning of Berkey® water filters.

That's correct! Silver is used as an antimicrobial agent allowing each Black Berkey® element to self-sterilize. Analysis were conducted by an independent laboratory to guarantee that the silver used does not dissolve into the purified water, and this is precisely the case. The analysis concluded: "All control samples, including stock samples, positive and negative analytical controls, and the begative control collected prior to seeding yeilded appropriate results and were accepted. The results of the leaching control samples (effluent sample spiked with MS2 and R.nterrigena and analyzed at two time points) were quite similar, suggesting that no active antimicrobial agent is leaching into the treated water." 

You can view the complete report results (in English).

Yes, and it is the same for all Berkey products, including the Berkey® Light and
Berkey® Sport. No BPA is present in any part.

This is true, water that filters through the Black Berkey™ elements tends to be more basic than before being filtered. Its pH increases. And in reality, this is a good thing... Pathogenic bacteria and viruses thrive in acidic environments and struggle to survive in alkaline environments. The higher the pH, the greater the alkalinity.

However, it is important to remember that the final pH level of the treated water can depend on other factors, like the pH level of the water before being filtered.

It is important to distinguish between plastics that dissolve in water and present a health risk and those that exist as miniscule solid particles.

In the first group, among the plastics that are dangerous to health and can dissolve in water, the most widespread are Bisphenol A (BPA) and 1,1-Dichloroethane (11-DCA). We are pleased tp say, the Black Berkey™ filters can remove these two harmful plastics.

Additionally, thanks to the filtration capability ranging from 24 to 26 nanometers, solid microplastics are also eliminated. These measure approximately 2.5 microns (2500 nanometers), which is significantly bigger than the 24 nanometers of the filter.

The micropores that constitute the Black Berkey™ filters are so fine that they stop microparticles such as viruses and bacteria from passing through. Even food colouring cannot pass through, and the filtered water becomes crystal clear!

Viruses and bacteria are eventually trapped in these extremely fine "tortuous paths" (in the range of a few microns), where as the smaller water molecules (H2O) are not.

This method efficiently distinguishes contaminants from purified water.

For more details on filtration capacity, you can consult the complete test results.

Glyphosate is a herbicide and pesticide used in modern agriculture and primarily released into the environment via runoff water. Numerous analyses have proven that the molecule is everywhere and is found in the hair, blood, and urine of an increasingly large population.

Its presence is also increasingly common in drinking water. The Black Berkey™ purification elements reduce glyphosate in your water by over 75%, exceeding the limits defined by laboratories.

You can review the analysis results* concerning Black Berkey® water filters, and more specifically those related to pesticides*.

(*) Documents in English.

With the growing consumption of medicines, an increasing number of contaminants from pharmaceutical residues are being released into the natural environment and finish in tap water. Among these can be found endocrine disruptors such as Bisphenol A, anti-inflammatories such as naproxen, octylphenols, progesterone, hormonal treatments like HRT, and many more. Thankfully, the Black Berkey™ water filters have the capability to filter these substances, making your drinking water healthier.

You can read the full analysis*  from tests conducted by independent laboratories.

The Black Berkey™ filters have been tested to eliminate up to 99.9% of these petroleum-based contaminants:

- Gasoline
- Diesel
- Crude oil
- Kerosene
- Refined oil

Find the full laboratory results for Black Berkey® purification elements here.

Giardiasis and cryptosporidiosis are both infections caused by protozoan parasites (giardia lamblia and cryptosporidium parvum) that affect the gastrointestinal tract. While giardiasis is often mild, cryptosporidiosis is a serious intestinal illness. These infections are commonly provoked from the ingestion of food or water or food contaminated with the feces of infected animals or humans.

Diarrhea, gas, nausea, and cramps are common symptoms of giardiasis and cryptosporidiosis. The parasites are often found in outdoor water sources like lakes, streams, and swimming pools.

The Black Berkey® filters eliminate over 99.996% of cryptosporidium and have been proven to decrease the amount of Giardia cysts by more than 99.994%, as confirmed by these test results.

Leptospirosisis caused by bacteria of the genus Leptospira. Considered as a serious infection, it is transmitted through the urine of infected animals, and is spread by the ingestion of contaminated water or food.

Cases range from mild to severe with flu-like symptoms in milder cases, but some extreme cases with severe symptoms such as kindey damage or liver failure can be fatal.

The Black Berkey™ purification elements have been proven to decrease the amount of Leptospira bacteria by over 99.6%, based on contamination levels far higher than those typically found in nature.

Find more information on leptospirosis below.

Read the test results proving the effectiveness of Black Berkey® filters against leptospirosis*.

A number of minerals can be present in water in the form of dissolved ions, either negatively charged (anions) or positively charged (cations). These ionic forms are absorbable by the human body. Among these minerals are calcium (Ca++), carbonates (CO3--), bicarbonates (HCO3-), chlorides (Cl-), potassium (K+), magnesium (Mg++), sodium (Na+), nitrates (NO3-), and sulfates (SO4--).

The media in the Black Berkey™ filters is not designed to eliminate these beneficial minerals (in their ionic forms) from the water. They may indeed be reduced if they are highly concentrated, but the majority will pass through the filters and be present in your filtered water.

If you still wish to incorporate additional minerals to your water, we recommend liquid additives and adding them into the lower chamber of your Berkey® system to avoid reducing their concentration.

Finally, we are frequently asked about the dry residue rate after filtration. The answer to this is easy: if you understand that the mineral concentration remains the same before and after filtration, the dry residue level also stays the same and entirely depends on the water you filter.

Refer to the assembly document* for a diagram and precise instructions on how to assemble your stainless steel Berkey® water purifier.

This documentation also contains instructions for setting up the filtration elements.

For more details, you can refer to the specific document on priming the Black Berkey® elements*

(*) : original documentation in English, provided in French at the time of purchase or upon request.

It is strongly advised against letting your filters freeze. Similarly, it is strictly discouraged to store the elements (even unused ones) in very cold climates. Residual water inside the element will expand and consequently enlarge the pore size, eventually destroying the element. Whether your filters are unused or already used and completely dried, a small amount of moisture could still remain inside, especially in predominantly humid climates. This moisture could expand inside the filter and render it unusable. Please note that this recommendation applies to ALL Berkey® elements, including the Sport Berkey® bottle. Freezing your element and making it unusable will also void your warranty coverage.

Two scenarios are possible:

1- If you have just acquired your Berkey® water purifier and the filters are new, the problem is usually due to high water tension. This prevents air from being purged from the micropores of your Black Berkey® water filters. Your filtration elements must be purged of this air to allow water to pass through them. A beige priming washer/blue valve and priming instructions are provided with the Black Berkey™ elements. Remove your filters, prime them, then reinstall them in your Berkey®. This should resolve the slow flow rate issue.

2- If the flow rate slows considerably during the use of your Berkey® system, the problem can usually be resolved by cleaning the elements. Turbidity and clogging of the micropores by sediment are usually the cause of this issue. Just remove the elements from your system and scrub the exterior of each element with the abrasive side of a ScotchBrite® sponge. Scrub a section of the element until you see some black on the sponge, then move to another section until you have scrubbed around each element. This process should only take a few minutes and should only be done under running water. Re-prime each element, then reinstall them in tank. Your flow rate should be back to normal.

CAUTION: Never use soap, vinegar, detergent, or any other cleaning product.

The exclusive design of the Black Berkey® filtration and purification elements compensates for the amazingly small pore size by using an exponentially greater number of micropores in each element. It is for this reason that Black Berkey® water filters produce about 8 times more water per hour than other rival elements. Even though some surface pores may become clogged by contaminants, it is very difficult to clog all the pores and therefore block the filter completely. Towards the end, you may see a slowdown in the filtration rate, but never a total blockage. If this occurs, the filter can be cleaned by simply scrubbing the exterior of the element with a ScotchBrite® pad or a toothbrush. This will remove the particles clogging the surface pores of the filter.

In conclusion, even though the filters have very fine micropores, the filter will not block prematurely.

What are estrogenic compounds?

Estrogenic compounds are part of a larger category of chemicals known as endocrine disruptors, chemicals that are able to alter the hormonal and homeostatic system that allows an organism - such as a human or other animal - to connect with and interact with its environment.

What types of estrogens are found in drinking water?

The main types of estrogens in our water supply include estrone, estradiol, estriol, and particularly synthetic ethinylestradiol (EE) from medications like contraceptive pills. Ethinylestradiol is the most widely used oral active estrogen globally. However, many other chemicals in wastewater effluents also have estrogenic effects on our bodies, like dihydrofolliculin, octylphenol, nonylphenol, polyethoxylates, trihalomethanes, and bisphenol A.

Effectiveness of Berkey® filter

In general, activated carbon filters can eliminate a wide range of endocrine disruptors, including steroidal estrogens and many estrogenic substances like trihalomethanes (THMs), which form when chlorine used to disinfect water reacts with natural organic matter. Black Berkey® purification elements have been successfully tested for reducing progesterone, octylphenol, nonylphenol, THMs, and BPA (see test results). Although estrogen was not specifically tested, we can suppose that it is also removed based on tests on similar endocrine disruptors.

Filters that have not been properly cleaned and primed, or if you have not fully cleaned and rinsed your tanks, the water from your initial filtrations may have a distinct, almost mineral taste. You can discard the first 2 or 3 filtrations.

If this issue continues, ensure that the black gaskets on the Black Berkey® filters are correctly positioned on the upper tank and not with the wing nuts in the lower tank.

If required, you may need to clean your tanks again and reprime your filters.

The lifespan of Berkey® filters has been calculated based on laboratory tests. It varies depending on the type of filter.

• For Black Berkey® filters, see this link: How long do Black Berkey® water filters last?
• For PF-2™ filters, see the following link: How long do Berkey PF-2™ water filters last?
• For shower filters, the filtration capacity is 113 400 liters of water, which is approximately 1890 showers.

Black Berkey® filters work "mechanically" by trapping contaminents in the millions of microscopic channels they contain, and also thanks to other layers, such as the ion exchange membrane and activated carbon. Solely for the mechanical part, the filtration fineness is estimated to be under 24 nanometers (0.024 microns), which corresponds to the size of some viruses efficiently filtered, such as MS2 or Fr Coliphage.

Due to industrial secret, it is impossible to provide the exact composition of the filters. However, what can be disclosed is detailed by following this link: What is the composition of Black Berkey® water filters?

Berkey® systems are not just simple water filters. They are efficient water purifiers that remove a significant number of pollutants, viruses, and bacteria. The list of these contaminants is published and available through analyses conducted by an independent laboratory following NSF protocol standards. These results are available to the public and can be found here: list of pollutants removed by Berkey® filters

When you want to filter water but composition is totally unidentified, and if do not have the choice (such as in an emergency situation), we recommend performing an initial analysis to ensure that there is no specific contamination that the Berkey® system may not be able to filter properly. This could be particular industrial pollution, resurfacing of old pollution, significant radioactive contamination, etc. The risk is indeed low, but the manufacturer Berkey® itself advises filtering the safest water possible or conducting tests beforehand. This does not take away from the exceptional performance of Berkey® filters and their actual ability to purify water. It is simply a precautionary procedure.

If you have or have not decided to perform preliminary water analysis, two points must be verified:

- Ensure that the seal is perfect from the first filtration. The wing nuts and blocking plugs must be sufficiently tightened so that the filtered water exits only through the ends of the threaded rods and not around the nuts or plugs. To do this, you must lift the upper chamber and visually check that everything is functioning properly.
- It is also recommended to perform the red dye test from the second filtration.
- None of the elements except the inside of the upper chamber and the top part of the filters should come into contact with contaminated water.
- Pay attention not to wash your hands with this water, if not you will contaminate any parts you touch: tap, filters, lower chamber.
- Under these conditions, Black Berkey® filters should not be primed with the contaminated water. They must be primed with the Black Berkey® Primer pump. This is a compulsory tool for these conditions.
- Throw away the first 2 filtrations.

You can also refer to this topic for more information on filtering rainwater.

Filtered water from Berkey® systems can be used for preparing baby bottles and as drinking water for infants. Contaminents have been removed from the water whilst minerals have been left. Additional precautions must be taken if the filtered water comes from untreated sources such as rainwater or a wells to ensure the system is fully operational and that the filtered water does not have any left over contaminents due to extremely high pollution levels or an unknown pollutant that may not be entirely removed from the filtered water.

More information on filtering water from a natural source can be found here.

Often used to remove limescale from water, differnt water softeners use differect technique to do so. According to the technique used, the water may be drinkable or not. In general, if the water is certified drinkable by the manufacturer, it can be used with the Berkey® system.

For more details, follow this link: Can I use my Berkey® purification system with water from my water softener?

When using hard water, meaning water with a high mineral content (TH > 30), Can the Berkey© system be used to reduce and combat limescale?

You can find the answer on the following link: Do Black Berkey® filters remove limescale?

Much has been written about the NSF standard, particulary regarding Berkey® systems. What is NSF, what does it refer to, and what about Berkey® purification systems? Find detailed answers on the follwing link: NSF standard and Berkey® filters

Congratulations! This indicates your Black Berkey© filters have been perfectly primed!

The water gently trrickles through as soon as you fill the upper chamber. It is the weight of the water column that forcefully pushes the water through the filters. Once the water column decreases (between the last third and the halfway point), the water drips quickly.

What makes the Black Berkey® filters strong and efficient are the microchannels that take a tortuous path, allowing the water to contact the filter over a long distance. But since there are millions of these microchannels, in the end the water filtered very quickly.

Generally, a full chamber is filtered in 45 minutes, give or take 10 minutes. If this is not the case, it means your filters are not properly primed. You should then re-prime them according to the instructions provided in your manual.

If you find that the filtration is very fast (10 to 20 minutes), again, don’t worry! The filtration speed indicated by the manufacturer is an average, and very fast filtration does not indicate that your filters are not working. First, check that your black seals are properly installed in the upper chamber and that the blocking plugs are securely in place and tight (except for the Travel model). Also, make sure the wing nuts are sufficiently tightened (without over-tightening). After that, when the water is being filtered, check by lifting the upper chamber that the water flows only through the ends of the Black Berkey® filter stems. Finally, if after all these checks the filtration is still very fast, you can perform a red dye test following the instructions in your manuals or in our FAQ. This is the final step that will find out if your filters are working properly or not.

The question has been frequently asked over the past few months. First and foremost, it is important to have informed and factual information on the subject. If you are asking this question, you have probably read alarming articles on the topic. We invite you to read this article from AFP to help balance the information.

The manufacturer, Berkey® New Millennium Concept Ltd., confirms that graphene oxide is not used in the composition of Black Berkey® filters.

Furthermore, if the water to be filtered contained this component, NMCL does not have tests to verify its reduction by the Black Berkey® elements. Without test results, we cannot determine if the elements are capable of reducing or removing it.

It should be noted, however, that the filtration fineness of Black Berkey® elements is about 22-24 nanometers. Any molecule larger than this measurement is mechanically trapped and thus retained by the filters.