Filter Review · April 17, 2026
Does Berkey remove microplastics?
Berkey sells gravity-fed countertop water filters with Black Berkey elements that the company claims remove >99.9% of a long list of contaminants, including microplastics. The physics of the element — a dense carbon block with a reported pore size in the sub-micron range — is plausible for that claim. But Berkey's testing has historically been done in-house, and the company has had a complicated regulatory history with the EPA. Independent verification is exactly what the at-home kit is for.
What Berkey claims vs what's certified
Berkey publishes an extensive list of contaminant reductions measured in internal lab testing, including >99.9% for microplastics. The elements do not carry NSF 42, NSF 53, or NSF 401 certification. The company has argued that their testing methodology is more rigorous than NSF's, which is marketing language that every uncertified brand uses.
In 2022, the EPA initiated enforcement action against Berkey over pesticide registration for the silver-impregnated elements. The action didn't relate directly to microplastic claims, but it created sales disruptions and raised credibility questions that are still part of the brand's reputation.
Is the physical filter capable?
Black Berkey elements use a dense activated carbon block with additional proprietary media. Dense carbon blocks canphysically trap particles down to around 0.2 µm depending on manufacturing tolerances. If Berkey's pore size claims hold, the element should capture most microplastics in the 1–100 µm range — which is the majority of what's measured in drinking water.
The system is gravity-fed — water sits in the upper chamber and drips through the elements into the lower chamber. Flow rates are slow (a Big Berkey fills about 3 gallons in 2 hours), which actually favors particle capture because contact time with the carbon is longer.
Independent research
There's no large independent peer-reviewed study specific to Berkey and microplastics. Scattered third-party TDS and heavy metal tests exist with mixed results. The honest answer is: the technology is plausibly effective, but you shouldn't take the company's word alone.
Test your own Berkey
This is the exact use case the Water Test at-home kit was built for. $50 for two tests. One 100 mL sample from your tap, one from the Berkey spigot. If Berkey's claims hold up, the Berkey-side filter disc should come back essentially clean. If they don't, you'll see it in pink dots.
A real at-home test result. You run this on your Berkey output.
We've tested a dozen filter brands this way. Every owner is surprised by at least one of the results.
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