Does Brita remove lead?

Last reviewed July 2026.

Some Brita filters do — and some don't. The model number decides. A certified lead claim is made under NSF/ANSI 53, the health-effects standard, and certification is per model. The Brita models marked ✓ below carry a lead claim you can verify in a public listing. The others are certified for other things — chlorine, taste and odour, or other 53 contaminants — but not for lead.

Model by model

OB06: WQA lists the Brita OB06 replacement element under NSF/ANSI 53 for asbestos, benzene, cadmium, lead and mercury. Brita's OB06 performance data sheet adds that IAPMO R&T and NSF International also certify its lead claim in named pitcher models. Source: WQA Gold Seal listing, Brita LP, read 2026-10-02.

OB03: Brita's OB03 performance data sheet says WQA certifies it to NSF/ANSI 42 and 53, but its NSF/ANSI 53 claims are cadmium, copper and mercury. Lead is not among them, so the OB03 carries no certified lead claim. Source: Brita Standard (OB03) performance data sheet, read 2026-10-02.

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: Brita's OB03 performance data sheet (read 2026-10-02) says WQA certifies it to NSF/ANSI 42 (chlorine, zinc) and NSF/ANSI 53, but its 53 claims are cadmium, copper and mercury only. Lead is not one of them, so the OB03 makes no certified lead claim despite holding 53. A WQA directory search for OB03 on the same day showed only an NSF/ANSI 42 entry. Brita's US pitcher filters are certified by WQA, not NSF, so they do not appear in the NSF listing database.

What the certified claim costs to run

Certification is per model, and so is the running cost. The cheapest Brita model carrying the claim is the Elite Replacement Filter (formerly Longlast+) (OB06) at about $19.99 per filter for a certified 120 gallons — $0.167 per certified gallon.

That capacity is what the certifier tested to, not a marketing estimate. For one person drinking about half a gallon a day it is roughly 8 months per filter; for a family of four, closer to 2 months. Run past the rated capacity and the claim no longer applies — the media is exhausted even though the filter still passes water.

How to check this yourself

Nothing here needs to be taken on trust. Brita's certifications are held by WQA, and each keeps a public database you can search by brand or model number. Look up the model printed on the filter — not the box, not the retail listing — and read which standards the entry lists. A model certified to 42 only will say exactly that.

Direct listings: OB06 · OB03

If a figure on this page disagrees with the certifier's listing, the listing wins. Tell us and we will correct it.

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 — but only where the model's 53 claim set names lead. A filter can be honestly "NSF certified" and still filter nothing but taste, and a 53 listing can cover cadmium, copper and mercury without lead — 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.

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