Yes, Berkey water systems do remove pesticides and herbicides from water, but what kinds of pesticides and herbicides do these filters remove, and how effective are they?
With water contamination becoming a growing concern, understanding how Berkey filters tackle these chemicals is essential for those seeking cleaner, safer drinking water.
Read on as we explore the key questions about Berkey filters' effectiveness in removing pesticides and ensuring your water is truly clean.
Jump to:
Why Are Pesticides in Drinking Water Dangerous?
Pesticides and herbicides are widely used in agriculture, landscaping, and even home gardening to control pests, weeds, and other unwanted vegetation. Unfortunately, these chemicals can seep into groundwater, rivers, lakes, and reservoirs, eventually making their way into municipal water supplies and private wells.
Exposure to pesticides in drinking water has been linked to a wide range of health risks, including:
Some pesticides take a long time to break down in the environment and can persist in water supplies for years. That's exactly why effective filtration is crucial to limit your family’s exposure to toxic pesticides and other common drinking water contaminants.
Now, let's take a closer look at why Berkey filters are the optimal choice for addressing this issue.
How Do Black Berkey Filters Remove Pesticides?
Berkey Water Filters utilize a proprietary filtration process that combines activated carbon and other filtration elements to remove pesticides and herbicides effectively. The Black Berkey Elements, in particular, use advanced adsorption techniques to capture and eliminate a wide range of organic contaminants.
The process works as follows:
- Adsorption: The activated carbon in the Black Berkey filters binds to pesticide molecules, trapping them as the water passes through.
- Microfiltration: The filters have microscopic pores that prevent larger pesticide particles from passing through.
- Ion Exchange: Some pesticides are removed via ion exchange, where harmful molecules are swapped with harmless ones.
For a deeper dive into Berkey’s filtration technology, check out the explanatory article: How Does a Berkey Water Filter System Work?
Do Phoenix Filter Elements Also Remove Pesticides From Tap Water?
New Berkey systems ship standard with Black Berkey Elements. When it's time to replace them, the current authorized standalone replacement is the Berkey Phoenix Elements, certified to NSF/ANSI 42 and 372.
Phoenix Elements are independently tested by RAYNU Analytical and Research Lab (accredited to ISO/IEC 17025:2017 by NABL) under the NSF/ANSI-401 emerging contaminants protocol, using GC-MS/MS for pesticides, PAHs, and PCBs and LC-MS/MS for pharmaceuticals. In a September 2025 test (Report #2510041B), Phoenix Elements reduced a panel of 50+ pesticides and herbicides, including glyphosate, 2,4-D, and DDT, by 99.9%+, along with 13 pharmaceutical drugs and 25+ semi-volatile organics. In separate independent testing, Phoenix Elements also reduced heavy metals such as barium by more than 99.9% and chromium by 97.21%.
Full results, including the complete pesticide and pharmaceutical data table, are on our Phoenix pesticide and pharmaceutical test results page, with the rest of the 200+ contaminant test data on our Phoenix lab results page.
Which Pesticides and Herbicides Do Berkey Filters Remove?
Berkey water filtration systems have been tested to remove or significantly reduce a variety of pesticides and herbicides. Below are some of the most notable ones:
Atrazine
Atrazine is one of the most commonly used herbicides in the U.S., where it is primarily applied to soils to prevent the emergence of weeds in corn and soybean crops. It is known to disrupt hormonal balance and has been linked to reproductive issues. Black Berkey Filters remove atrazine to undetectable levels, ensuring cleaner, safer water.
Glyphosate (Roundup)
Glyphosate, the active ingredient in the common weed killer, Roundup, is widely used in agriculture and for domestic garden use. It has been associated with hormone disruption and potential carcinogenic effects. A 2017 review in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health found that current U.S. safety standards for glyphosate rely largely on unpublished, non-peer-reviewed industry studies conducted decades ago, and called for improved human monitoring and the use of modern testing methods (Vandenberg et al., 2017). Phoenix Elements were independently tested in September 2025 and reduced glyphosate by 99.9%+, from a spiked concentration of 1,000 µg/L down to below 1 µg/L (RAYNU Analytical and Research Lab, Report #2510041B). Black Berkey Elements were tested separately and reduced glyphosate by more than 75%, a figure set by the sensitivity of the lab's testing equipment at the time rather than a ceiling on the filter's actual performance, the lab could not measure any glyphosate remaining below that threshold, so the true reduction may be significantly higher.
2,4-D
2,4 Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid is a herbicide that is widely used to control weeds on lawns, turf, and crops. It is ten times more toxic than glyphosate and has been linked to neurological and reproductive issues. It is a known hormone disruptor, and chronic exposure has been linked to an increased risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (a blood cancer) and sarcoma (a soft-tissue cancer). Black Berkey Filters remove 2,4-D to below lab detectable limits, and Phoenix Elements reduced 2,4-D by 99.9%+ in September 2025 testing, significantly reducing the risks.
Lindane
Lindane is a banned pesticide that still can be found in some water sources due to its persistence in the environment. It is a highly toxic neurotoxin that impacts the nervous system, liver, and kidneys. It may also act as a hormone disruptor, with young children being more susceptible to its adverse health effects. The EPA has classified lindane as a potential carcinogen. Berkey filters remove lindane to below lab-detectable levels, making your water safer to drink.
Berkey Filters also remove DDT, Chlordane, Endrin, Heptachlor, and many other pesticides.
View the lab test results:
Discover What Other Contaminants Berkey Filter Elements Remove
Pesticides and herbicides are just a fraction of the contaminants a Berkey water filtration system is capable of removing. Black Berkey filter elements are tested against over 200 common drinking water contaminants, including heavy metals, PFAS, and pharmaceutical residues.
As the data we've presented shows, choosing a Berkey Water Filter is an investment in clean, healthy water for you and your family. If you suspect that you may live in an area where pesticides are present in tap water, a Berkey system stands out as a reliable and proven solution to limit your exposure.
Where to start? Take a look at our selection of effective Berkey filters systems tailored to various needs. Choose your system and enjoy safe, healthy water, risk-free!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Berkey water filters remove pesticides?
Yes. Both Black Berkey Elements and Phoenix Elements are independently tested to remove pesticides and herbicides, including glyphosate, atrazine, 2,4-D, and DDT. Black Berkey Elements use adsorption and microfiltration to trap these chemicals, and Phoenix Elements are certified to NSF/ANSI 42 and 372 with their own third-party pesticide panel.
Does Berkey remove glyphosate (Roundup)?
Yes. Phoenix Elements reduced glyphosate by 99.9%+ in September 2025 testing, from a spiked concentration of 1,000 µg/L down to below 1 µg/L (RAYNU Analytical and Research Lab, Report #2510041B). Black Berkey Elements were tested separately and reduced glyphosate by more than 75%, a figure limited by the sensitivity of the lab's testing equipment at the time rather than the filter's actual ceiling.
Does Berkey remove atrazine?
Yes. Black Berkey Elements reduce atrazine to undetectable levels, based on independent lab testing (Envirotek Laboratories Report #14-260).
What is the difference between Black Berkey Elements and Phoenix Elements for pesticide removal?
Black Berkey Elements ship standard with new Berkey systems and are tested to NSF/ANSI standards by independent labs. Phoenix Elements are the current authorized standalone replacement, certified to NSF/ANSI 42 and 372, and were independently tested against a panel of 50+ pesticides and herbicides in September 2025 with 99.9%+ reduction across the board.
How do Berkey filters remove pesticides and herbicides?
Berkey filter elements use a combination of adsorption, microfiltration, and ion exchange. Activated carbon in the filter media binds pesticide molecules as water passes through, microscopic pores block larger particles, and ion exchange swaps some harmful molecules for harmless ones.
Does Berkey remove 2,4-D herbicide?
Yes. Black Berkey Elements reduce 2,4-D to below lab detectable limits, and Phoenix Elements reduced 2,4-D by 99.9%+ in the same September 2025 testing that covered glyphosate.
Are Berkey's pesticide removal claims independently verified?
Yes. Black Berkey Elements are tested by Envirotek Laboratories, an EPA-ID accredited lab in New Jersey. Phoenix Elements are tested by RAYNU Analytical and Research Lab, accredited to ISO/IEC 17025:2017 by NABL. Both labs are independent of New Millennium Concepts, the maker of Berkey filters.
Where can I see the full pesticide and herbicide lab test results?
Full results for Phoenix Elements, including the complete pesticide, herbicide, and pharmaceutical data tables, are on our Phoenix pesticide and pharmaceutical test results page. Additional test results for Black Berkey Elements are on our general test results page.
By
Dan DeBaun
