Does Brita remove lead?

Last reviewed July 2026.

Some Brita filters do — and some don't. The model number decides. A certified lead claim lives in NSF/ANSI 53, the health-effects standard, and certification is per model. The Brita models below that hold 53 have a lead claim you can verify in a public listing; the ones certified only to NSF/ANSI 42 are certified for chlorine, taste and odour — and nothing else.

Model by model

OB06: WQA Gold Seal certified to NSF/ANSI 42, 53 and 401. Brita's US pitcher filters are certified by WQA, not NSF — they do not appear in the NSF listing database.

OB03: Certified to NSF/ANSI 42 (aesthetic effects — chlorine taste and odor) ONLY. It carries no NSF/ANSI 53 health certification, so it makes no certified lead claim. Brita's own product page lists chlorine, mercury, copper and cadmium — lead is absent.

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 Brita 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.