Lab results

Tested by SGS, an independent laboratory. Every figure on this page comes from those reports.

SGS results

Reported reductions.

Results for the black carbon gravity elements used in every Aquelia.

>99.999%

Bacteria
Total coliforms, Salmonella, S. aureus and more
>99.84%

Lead
Plus arsenic, chromium 6, cadmium and mercury
>99.3%

PFOA & PFOS
The best-known forever chemicals
99.97%

Microplastics
NSF/ANSI 401 test method
>99.5%

Chlorine
And >99.67% chloramine
>99.96%

Benzene & toluene
Petroleum-derived VOCs

Reported contaminant reduction for the black carbon filter elements
Contaminant	Reported reduction	Test method
Bacteria (NSF/ANSI P231 method)
Total coliform bacteria	>99.999%	NSF/ANSI P231
Salmonella	>99.999%	NSF/ANSI P231
Staphylococcus aureus	>99.999%	NSF/ANSI P231
Klebsiella	>99.999%	NSF/ANSI P231
Vibrio cholerae	>99.999%	NSF/ANSI P231
Heavy metals
Lead	>99.84%	NSF/ANSI 42/53
Arsenic	>99.93%	NSF/ANSI 42/53
Chromium 6	>99.64%	NSF/ANSI 42/53
Cadmium	>99.47%	NSF/ANSI 42/53
Mercury	>97.01%	NSF/ANSI 42/53
Copper	>99.82%	NSF/ANSI 42/53
Aluminum	>99.58%	NSF/ANSI 42/53
Disinfectants
Chlorine	>99.50%	NSF/ANSI 42/53
Chloramine	>99.67%	NSF/ANSI 42/53
PFAS (forever chemicals)
PFOA	>99.31%	NSF/ANSI P473
PFOS	>99.37%	NSF/ANSI P473
Microplastics
Microplastics	99.97%	NSF/ANSI 401
Volatile organic compounds
Benzene	>99.96%	NSF/ANSI 53
Toluene	>99.96%	NSF/ANSI 53
Ethylbenzene	>99.96%	NSF/ANSI 53
m/p-Xylene	>99.74%	NSF/ANSI 53
MTBE	>99.3%	NSF/ANSI 53
Pharmaceuticals and emerging contaminants
Acetaminophen	>99.2%	NSF/ANSI 401
Ibuprofen	>98.64%	NSF/ANSI 401
Naproxen	>99.48%	NSF/ANSI 401
Carbamazepine	>99.60%	NSF/ANSI 401
Estrone	>99.65%	NSF/ANSI 401
Bisphenol A (BPA)	>99.69%	NSF/ANSI 401
Pesticides and herbicides
Atrazine	>99.57%	NSF/ANSI 53
Glyphosate	>99.9%	NSF/ANSI 53
2,4-D	>99.31%	NSF/ANSI 53
Disinfection byproducts (haloacetic acids)
Dichloroacetic acid	>99.99%	NSF/ANSI 53
Dibromoacetic acid	>99.99%	NSF/ANSI 53
Trichloroacetic acid	99.99%	NSF/ANSI 53

Reductions as reported by SGS for the black carbon gravity elements used in Aquelia. The testing was commissioned by the manufacturer and is shared with permission. Test methods follow the NSF/ANSI protocols listed, but Aquelia is not NSF certified. Results in your home depend on your source water. For targeted fluoride reduction, add the optional AF-2 elements.

Who tested it

SGS is an independent testing, inspection and certification company with laboratories across the United States. SGS tested the black carbon gravity elements that ship inside every Aquelia. The testing was commissioned by the manufacturer who makes them, and the results are shared here with permission.

How it was tested

The lab adds a measured amount of a contaminant to test water (the influent), passes it through the filter elements and measures what remains in the filtered water (the effluent). The reduction percentage compares the two. The tests follow the protocols of the NSF/ANSI standards named in the table: 42 and 53 for chemical and aesthetic contaminants, 401 for emerging contaminants and microplastics, P231 for microbiological reduction and P473 for PFOA/PFOS.

What the results mean, and what they don't

The percentages are the reductions SGS reported under laboratory conditions. Results in your home depend on what's in your source water.
Following an NSF/ANSI test protocol is not the same as NSF certification. Aquelia is not NSF certified.
We only publish figures that appear in the reports. Where we have no data, we make no claim.
For targeted fluoride reduction, we recommend adding the optional AF-2 elements.