Black Berkey® Purification Elements Exceed Testing Expectations

The manufacturer of the Berkey® Water Purification systems has just released this exciting information regarding testing of the Black Berkey® Purification Elements (Black Berkeys®). This testing confirms the claims of previous lab testing & adds more contaminants removed/reduced to the list of verified lab claims.

Arlington, Texas, 26 September, 2012. In late 2009, New Millennium Concepts, Ltd., set a new standard for free standing, gravity fed water filtration systems with their Black Berkey® element. At that time, new test data verified that this particular element removes virus to greater than required by the “Purification Standards”.

To the best of our knowledge, this is the only element of its type to actually pass virus testing, to the degree of greater than Log 5, that’s 99.999% reduction. To do this, the Black Berkey® purification element underwent a battery of tests to meet the purification standards, including:

-Element must remove/inactivate all types of pathogenic organisms. Specifically, element must remove one or two species of virus to 4 Log10 (=> 99.99%) and remove pathogenic bacteria to 6 Log10 (=> 99.9999%) and remove cysts (protozoans) to 3 Log10 (=> 99.9%). Further, the elements must demonstrate this reduction in normal (tap) water and extremely turbid challenge water.
-Purification Challenge: The Standard has selected 3 types of challenge organisms: Bacteria (Klebsiella/Raoultella terrigena), Viruses (Poliovirus and Rotavirus or MS2 bacteriophage) and Protozoan Cysts (Giardia or Cryptosporidium).
-VIROLOGY – Demonstration of a 4 Log10 (99.99%) reduction is required on the combined polio/rota or MS2 virus challenge matrix.
-BACTERIOLOGY – Demonstration of a 6 Log10 (99.9999%) reduction is required for the Klebsiella/Raoultella terrigena bacterial challenge.
-CYST REMOVAL – Demonstration of a 3 Log10 (99.9%) reduction is required for the cysts using Cryptosporidium or Giardia.

Now, on the heels of this recent biological (virus) testing, New Millennium Concepts, Ltd. is proud to announce the results of a new round of testing for the Black Berkey® purification element. Once again, this proprietary element is setting new standards for gravity fed water filtration and purification systems.

Testing on our upgraded elements, specifically on Heavy Metals, not only confirms the tests on prior formulations, where the Black Berkey® elements typically reduce Heavy Metals by 95% or greater, but adds a whole host of new contaminates to the list. Confirmed reductions include Cadmium, Chromium, Copper, Lead and Mercury. New to the Heavy Metal list are Antimony, Barium, Chromium 6, Cobalt, Molybdenum, Nickel and Vanadium. Other new non-heavy metal entries on the reduction list include Selenium and Thallium. Additional new potential contaminates that show significant reduction of 95% or greater are Nitrites, MBAS (Methylene Blue Active Substances) and Arsenic.

It is interesting to note that in all the testing conducted on the Black Berkey® purification element, reduction occurred in excess of the reporting limit for each test. In other words, the reduction levels achieved, in every case, exceeded the testing limitation of the laboratory in which the tests were conducted. What this means is that the reduction levels indicated on the enclosed test results are a minimum that can be achieved; real world results may actually be greater than the percentages listed.

All these recent tests were conducted on the upgraded formulation for the Black Berkey® Purification Elements, ensuring that Black Berkey® elements are one of the most rigorously tested elements available. New Millennium Concepts, Ltd. works continuously to upgrade and improve the complex matrix and proprietary formulation of its Black Berkey® purification elements. More test results for organic/inorganic matter and VOC’s coming soon.

*Not all potential contaminates listed will be found in all water and reduction levels can depend on competing contaminates found within the water being tested.