Does Berkey remove lead?
Last reviewed July 2026.
No. Berkey is genuinely certified — but not for lead. Its certification covers NSF/ANSI 42 only: chlorine, taste and odour. A certified lead claim requires NSF/ANSI 53, and there is no 53 listing for these filters. "Certified" on the box and "certified for lead" are different sentences.
Model by model
| Model | Standards | Lead (53) | Certifier | $ / certified gal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Berkey / Royal Berkey / Travel Berkey (Phoenix element) Phoenix Gravity New Millennium Edition brand ↗ | 42 | ✗ | NSF | — |
Phoenix Gravity New Millennium Edition: Listed under New Millennium Concepts Ltd to NSF/ANSI 42 ONLY — chlorine reduction and taste/odor. There is no NSF/ANSI 53 listing, so there is no certified lead or health claim. The widely-sold Black Berkey element is not listed at all; the certification attaches to the newer Phoenix element.
Why 53 is the number that matters
NSF/ANSI 42 is aesthetics — chlorine, taste, odour. 53 is health effects, and it is where the lead claim lives. A filter can be honestly "NSF certified" and still filter nothing but taste — see 42 vs 53 vs 401.
Related: Is Berkey NSF certified? · every filter we track, ranked by cost per certified gallon
We do not test filters — we index what accredited certifiers publish, with attribution, and make no health or treatment claims. A certification covers a specific model against a specific standard; it is not a general seal of quality. We are not affiliated with NSF International.
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