Do ZeroWater water filters have PFAS?
ZeroWater water filters average 95 out of 100 on PFAS Authority's PFAS and toxin screen across the 25 ZeroWater water filters graded as of October 2026, level with the 95 out of 100 median for the 64 other water filters brands graded alongside it.
ZeroWater water filters average Excellent on our four-band scale. 25 of the 25 we graded are worth buying. That is above 36% of the water filters brands we grade.
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.
Do ZeroWater filters remove PFAS?
Yes. 4 ZeroWater filters are certified to reduce PFOA and PFOS under NSF/ANSI 53.
This is a separate question from the grade above, which is about what the filter is made of. A certification means a certifier tested one specific claim on one specific model, so it covers the models named here and nothing else in the range.
| Model | Status | Claim | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZeroWater 5-Stage Ion Exchange pitcher and dispenser filter (replacement ZR-001 / ZF-201; PDS covers pitcher and dispenser models ZD-018, ZP-010, ZD-010RP, ZD-023-1, ZD-012RP, ZP-007RP, ZBD-040, ZD-030RP, ZR-0810N, ZR-0810GN, ZD-20RPN, ZP-012-RR, ZD-022-RR, ZD-032-RR, ZD-052-RR) | Certified | PFOA / PFOSIAPMO to NSF/ANSI 53Overall 99.8 percent reduction. Influent challenge 0.0015 mg/L +/- 10%. Maximum effluent 0.000004 mg/L. Maximum permissible effluent 0.00002 mg/L. | Read it ↗ |
| ZeroWater 5-Stage Ion Exchange Filter (brand certification page) | Certified | PFOA/PFOSIAPMO to NSF/ANSI 53 | Read it ↗ |
| ExtremeLife Faucet Mount Filter ZFM-400CR / ZFM-400WH (replacement filter ZRFM-001) | Certified | PFOA / PFOSWQA to NSF/ANSI 53Overall reduction greater than 98.9 percent. Influent challenge 1.5 +/- 10% ug/L. Maximum effluent 0.016 ug/L. Maximum permissible effluent 0.07 ug/L. | Read it ↗ |
| ExtremeLife Faucet Mount Filter (brand certification page) | Certified | PFOA/PFOSWQA to NSF/ANSI 53 | Read it ↗ |
Registers checked September 29, 2026. A lab test the brand publishes is a real result and not a certification. See every filter certified to reduce PFAS, and what ZeroWater says about PFAS.
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What ZeroWater says and does about PFAS
ZeroWater claims PFAS reduction, and which claim applies depends on the generation of filter. Culligan says the current Culligan with ZeroWater Technology line is certified by IAPMO under NSF/ANSI 53 for 99.7 percent reduction of Total PFAS, while the legacy five stage ZeroWater filter is certified for PFOA and PFOS only. In independent university testing across 75 PFAS compounds, ZeroWater removed more than 99 percent, the best of the pitchers tested.
- Brand statementCulligan states that the current line is independently certified by IAPMO to reduce Total PFAS by 99.7 percent under NSF/ANSI 53 standards. Culligan ↗
- Brand statementCulligan separates the two generations on its own certifications page, listing the legacy ZeroWater filter as IAPMO-certified for lead, PFOA and PFOS, chromium and mercury, and the newer line as also certified for total PFAS. Culligan ↗
- Brand statementZeroWater’s own site says its five stage ion exchange filter is IAPMO certified to reduce PFOA and PFOS along with lead, chlorine, chromium and mercury, a narrower claim than Total PFAS. ZeroWater ↗
- StudyA peer-reviewed study from the Universite de Montreal tested pitcher filters against 75 PFAS compounds and reported volume-weighted average removal above 99 percent for ZeroWater on both water sources, the strongest result among the pitchers tested. Frontiers in Environmental Chemistry ↗
- Government sourcePennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection lists Culligan ZeroWater pitchers and dispensers among point-of-use units it describes as NSF 53 certified for PFOA and PFOS removal. Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection ↗
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.
ZeroWater water filters worth buying Good or better, best-graded first
- Stainless steel bottle; filter composition not specified by brand
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3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
ZeroWater
Avanti ZJ007 ZeroWater Water Bottle Kit
- Activated carbon and ion-exchange resin filter media; reusable plastic bottle
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3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Activated carbon and ion-exchange resin filter media
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3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Ion-exchange resin cartridge (primary filtration media)
- Microbial growth in exhausted or improperly maintained cartridge. Ion-exchange resin can harbor bacteria if…
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Ion-exchange resin filter cartridges, BPA-free plastic pitcher
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3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Plastic bottle body; ion-exchange resin filter cartridge
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2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Plastic (BPA-free stated), activated carbon filter media
- Bacterial growth in filter cartridge. Activated carbon filters can harbor bacteria if cartridges are not…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Plastic pitcher housing, ion-exchange resin cartridge filter
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2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- polystyrene pitcher, activated carbon filter cartridge
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2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
ZeroWater
22 Cup Ready Read Water Filtration Dispenser
- Ion-exchange resin cartridge, plastic dispenser housing
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3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- plastic pitcher with activated carbon/ion-exchange resin filter cartridge
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2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
ZeroWater
5 Gallon Water Cooler Filtration System
- ion-exchange resin cartridge; plastic housing
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3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- BPA-free plastic pitcher, activated carbon + ion exchange resin filter
- Bacterial growth in filter cartridge / housing if unmaintained. Activated carbon filters can support biofilm…
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Ion-exchange resin cartridge, plastic pitcher housing
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ZeroWater
ExtremeLife Faucet Filter - White Standard Faucet Mount Water Filter System
- Activated carbon filter; plastic faucet mount housing
- Plastic housing leachables. Polypropylene or ABS plastic housing in contact with tap water over months may…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Activated carbon filter media, plastic housing
- Bacterial growth in filter media if unmaintained. Activated carbon can support biofilm if cartridges are not…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- BPA-free plastic pitcher body; carbon and ion-exchange resin filter media
- Bacterial growth in filter media and housing. Ion-exchange resin and carbon can harbor bacterial biofilm if…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Activated carbon, ion-exchange resin, polypropylene housing
- Bacterial growth and biofilm in cartridge media. Activated carbon and resin can support microbial…
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- Ion-exchange resin, activated carbon filtration media
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- Ion-exchange resin with activated carbon
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2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Tritan copolyester tumbler with carbon/ion-exchange filter media
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2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- activated carbon filter media, plastic housing
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4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- plastic pitcher + carbon/ion exchange filter media
- Bacterial growth in filter media if cartridge not replaced. Water-filter cartridges are breeding grounds for…
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- Ion-exchange resin cartridge, proprietary blend
- Ion-exchange resin leachables and composition opacity. Proprietary resin blends may contain additives…
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- plastic pitcher, activated carbon and ion exchange filter media
- Bacterial growth in filter media if unmaintained. Activated carbon and ion exchange resin can harbor bacteria…
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Better water filters from other brands
Graded higher than the ZeroWater average of 95.
- glass bottles, sodium dichloroisocyanurate treatment chemical
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Chemical overdose or misuse
5 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Stainless steel housing and spigot
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Bacterial growth and biofilm if filters not replaced
5 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Borosilicate glass pitcher, replaceable activated-carbon filter cartridge
- Bacterial growth in filter cartridge if unmaintained
5 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
The same question, asked of the other water filters brands
Best average grade first. ZeroWater averages 95.
See every ZeroWater product we grade on the ZeroWater brand page, or the full water filters ranking.