Berkey Phoenix Heavy Metals Test Results: 16 Metals by ICP-MS
Sixteen metals were analysed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry after filtration, with challenge water that was harder and more alkaline than typical municipal supply. Most were reduced below the instrument's detection limit; a few, including zinc and copper, were partially reduced and are reported exactly as measured.
Lab: Atom Testing Laboratory, now RAYNU Analytical Labs, Bangalore. Heavy metals and inorganic contaminants report dated 20 April 2026. Accreditation: NABL, ISO/IEC 17025:2017. Product: PGF9-2, batch B02102616.
Challenge water: TDS 1,250-1,658 mg/L and pH 8.5-9.3, conditions that are deliberately harder to treat than ordinary tap water. Analysis by ICP-MS following NSF/ANSI 42 and 53 protocols.
| Metal | Input (µg/L) | Output (µg/L) | Removal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminum | 200 | <2 | Non-detect |
| Antimony | 21 | <0.5 | Non-detect |
| Arsenic | 200 | <0.5 | Non-detect |
| Barium | 20 | <1 | Non-detect |
| Beryllium | 200 | <0.2 | Non-detect |
| Bismuth | 50 | 0.3 | 99.4% |
| Boron | 20 | <1 | Non-detect |
| Cadmium | 20 | <0.2 | Non-detect |
| Chromium | 200 | 7.2 | 97.2% |
| Copper | 2,000 | 40.8 | 98.0% |
| Iron | 1,500 | 25.9 | 98.4% |
| Manganese | 500 | <0.5 | Non-detect |
| Mercury | 10 | <0.1 | Non-detect |
| Nickel | 100 | <0.5 | Non-detect |
| Selenium | 100 | <0.5 | Non-detect |
| Zinc | 150 | 26.1 | 82.6% |
Lead and arsenic both entered at 200 µg/L, well above any realistic municipal level, and exited below the reporting limit. That is a strong bench result and it is still a bench result.
Zinc is the honest outlier at 82.6%: partial reduction, not removal. Copper and chromium sit in the high nineties. If a single headline number were quoted for this panel it would misrepresent rows like those, which is why the whole table is published.
Is this an NSF certification for lead or arsenic removal?
No, and the difference matters. The Phoenix element is certified to NSF/ANSI 42 (chlorine, taste and odor) and NSF/ANSI/CAN 372 (lead-free materials). Standard 372 concerns the product's own materials, not lead coming out of your water. Every metal figure on this page comes from independent laboratory analysis, not from an NSF certification.
What were the test conditions?
Water was spiked with known concentrations of each metal and filtered through a Phoenix element from batch B02102616. Challenge water ran a TDS of 1,250 to 1,658 mg/L at pH 8.5 to 9.3, considerably harder and more alkaline than most tap water. Analysis used inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) at a NABL-accredited, ISO/IEC 17025 laboratory.
Why do some rows say non-detect while others show a percentage?
Non-detect means the metal could not be found down to the lab's reporting limit for that element, so there was nothing left to express as a percentage. Where a residual stayed measurable, the reduction is reported as a number: zinc 82.6%, chromium 97.21%, copper 97.96%, iron 98.35%, bismuth 99.43%. Both presentations describe the same test, and we publish the weak rows alongside the strong ones.
Does this mean the filter removes every heavy metal?
No. Sixteen specific metals were tested and are listed here with their challenge levels and results. Nothing on this page should be read as a statement about metals outside that panel, or about contaminants in other categories. VOCs, PFAS, pesticides and pharmaceuticals are documented on their own pages.
Will it reduce lead in my own tap water?
Those results describe what the element achieved under controlled, spiked laboratory conditions. Your water chemistry, the age and loading of your elements, and your flow rate all affect what happens in a kitchen. If you have reason to suspect lead in your water, get it tested and follow your utility's advice; a countertop filter is not a substitute for that.
Does it remove healthy minerals?
Total dissolved solids were essentially unchanged through the element, and the media is not designed to demineralise water. Some of the sixteen metals tested did show partial reduction, including zinc and iron, so "removes metals" and "removes only the bad ones" are not the same sentence. We would rather state that plainly than imply a selectivity the report does not show.