Brita Review, Is Brita Non-Toxic?
Brita averages 96 out of 100 on PFAS Authority's PFAS and toxin screen across the 27 Brita products graded as of October 2026, and all 27 reach its 70 point pass mark.
Brita grades Excellent on our four-band scale.
PFAS Authority is a scoring system, not a laboratory. We do not test products ourselves. Grades are model-based, built from published ingredients, materials, certifications, brand disclosures and third-party lab results where they exist. See the rubric.
What Brita says and does about PFAS
Brita’s PFAS claim is narrower than it first looks. The Brita Elite filter OB06 is certified by IAPMO under NSF/ANSI 53 for 98.1 percent reduction of PFOA and PFOS, two compounds, and the footnote limits that claim to a named subset of pitcher models. Brita makes no Total PFAS claim. In independent university testing across 75 PFAS compounds the Elite filter removed 20 percent on one water source and 48 percent on another.
- Brand statementBrita’s performance data sheet says the Brita Elite filter OB06 has been certified by IAPMO R&T against NSF/ANSI Standard 53 for the reduction of PFOA and PFOS, at a stated 98.1 percent. Brita ↗
- Brand statementThe separate WQA certification Brita lists on the same sheet is against NSF/ANSI Standards 42, 53 and 401 for the other claims, so the PFOA and PFOS line rests on the IAPMO listing. Brita ↗
- Brand statementBrita Canada publishes its own version of the same Elite performance sheet, carrying the same 98.1 percent PFOA and PFOS figure over a slightly different list of pitcher models. Brita Canada ↗
- StudyA peer-reviewed study from the Universite de Montreal tested pitcher filters against 75 PFAS compounds and reported volume-weighted average removal of 20 percent for the Brita Elite on one water source and 48 percent on another, far below the certified figure for two compounds. Frontiers in Environmental Chemistry ↗
- Government sourcePennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection lists specific Brita Elite pitchers among point-of-use units it describes as NSF 53 certified for PFOA and PFOS removal, and notes that the current certification standards do not yet show a filter will remove PFAS below the 20 parts per trillion acceptance level. Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection ↗
- StudyA Duke and North Carolina State study of household filters reported that reverse osmosis and two-stage filters reduced PFAS by 94 percent or more while activated carbon filters averaged 73 percent. The study named filter categories rather than brands. Environmental Science and Technology Letters, via EurekAlert ↗
Sources checked October 1, 2026. A brand statement is the company’s own claim, which we report but have not verified. Our grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests.
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Does Brita have PFAS, by category
Which Brita products are PFAS-free? Good or better, best-graded first
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- activated carbon filter media, plastic reservoir housing
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Brita and PFAS, common questions
- Does Brita have PFAS?
- Brita averages 96 out of 100 on PFAS Authority's PFAS and toxin screen across the 27 Brita products graded as of October 2026, and all 27 reach its 70 point pass mark. Grades are model-based estimates built from published materials, ingredients and disclosures, not lab tests. Brita states that its Elite filter OB06 is certified by IAPMO under NSF/ANSI 53 to reduce 98.1 percent of PFOA and PFOS, and the claim is footnoted to a named list of pitcher models. Brita makes no Total PFAS claim, and a peer-reviewed study measuring 75 PFAS compounds found 20 to 48 percent removal depending on the water source.
- Is Brita non-toxic?
- Brita 20 oz Carbon Stainless Steel Filtered Water Bottle is the highest-graded Brita product we have scored, at 100/100. It depends on the product line rather than the brand, so check the grade of the exact item you are buying.
- Which Brita products are lower concern for PFAS?
- The highest-graded Brita products we have scored are Brita 20 oz Carbon Stainless Steel Filtered Water Bottle, Brita Premium Stainless Steel Water Bottle, Brita Premium Water Bottle. That is our model-based estimate from materials and public disclosure, not a lab test.
Every grade uses the same public rubric. How grades work →