Under sink · model AQ-5200.55
Aquasana AQ-5200 review: the only filter in our batch certified for PFAS
The Aquasana AQ-5200 is certified under NSF/ANSI 53 for nine contaminants including lead, PFOA and PFOS. Of the ten filters we verified model by model, it is the only one holding a certified PFAS reduction claim, which is why it scores 84 and everything else in the batch sits below 60.
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What it is actually certified to remove
Looked up as model AQ-5200.55 in the WQA certification database, the unit holds NSF/ANSI 42, 53, 401 and NSF/ANSI/CAN 372. The NSF/ANSI 53 claim list is the one that matters, and it runs: asbestos, cyst, lead, mercury, MTBE, PFOS, PFOA, turbidity and VOCs.
Nine health claims is a broad list for an under-sink unit at this price. For comparison, the best-selling pitcher filter in America carries none at all, and the best-selling reverse osmosis system on Amazon carries one, for total dissolved solids.
The PFAS claim, precisely
This is where care matters. The certification covers PFOA and PFOS specifically, the two PFAS compounds with enforceable federal limits of 4 parts per trillion each. It is not the broader "Total PFAS" claim, which covers seven compounds including PFHxS, PFNA, PFHpA, PFBS and PFDA.
That distinction is not academic. Our analysis of EPA's national monitoring found PFPeA and PFBA are the most frequently detected PFAS in American water systems, and neither is covered here, nor regulated federally. If your utility reported those specifically, this unit is not certified against them.
Who it makes sense for
If you are on a system where EPA's UCMR 5 monitoring detected PFOA or PFOS, or your building predates the 1986 lead ban, this is the strongest certified option we have checked so far. Look up your own city first, because the answer changes what you need.
If your water tested clean for PFAS and you have no lead service line, you are buying capability you may not use. That is a legitimate choice, but it should be a deliberate one.
What we have not tested
We have not installed this unit or measured its output. Every performance statement above comes from the certification listing, which is independent third-party testing we did not conduct and cannot influence. Flow rate, fitment under a particular sink, and cartridge life in real use are things owner reviews speak to and we do not.
Check it yourself
Everything above is verifiable in about a minute. Search the exact model number at NSF's certified products database or WQA's Gold Seal directory. Use the model number, not the brand: certification is granted per model, and brand-level results routinely describe a different product.
Common questions
Does the Aquasana AQ-5200 remove PFAS?
Is the Aquasana AQ-5200 certified for lead?
How does the AQ-5200 compare to a Brita pitcher?
What you need depends on what's in your water
Look up your own utility's published figures before buying anything. A filter certified for the wrong contaminant is money spent on the wrong problem.