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Royal Berkey Water Filter System With 2 Black Berkey Filters by Berkey Water Filters
List Price: $299.00Our Price: $270.50You Save: $28.50 (10%)Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Kitchen See more product details
Product SummaryManufacturer: Berkey Water Filters Brand: Royal Berkey Model: RB4X2-BB Product features: - 3.25 Gallon holding Volume
- Height = 23" ; Diameter = 9.5"
- Purifies 4 Gallons / Hour
- High Grade 304 Stainless Steel
- 2 Black Berkeys good for 6000 Gallons
Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Royal Berkey Water Filter System With 2 Black Berkey FiltersCustomer Review: Prove It With Current Lab Analysis Reports! Summary: 3 Stars
Not to be a buzz kill, but I spend DAYS researching these berkey filters. I even tracked down a gentleman who claimed to be one of the heads of the Toxicology Department, Dr. Portier, at LSU. He said that LSU did infact do ONE water sample on the Black Berkey over 8 YEARS ago and that neither he or LSU endorses their product. He also said that while the test did take place, that not Himself or LSU authorized a document to be placed on the internet. He said the reason that he was so quick to call me back is because he has had nearly 20 different inquires in the past 8 years asking about this "so called" lab analysis document that Berkey puts on their website. He also went on to say, that SOMEONE had to of manufactured the "LSU document" because he did not provide ANYONE with that document. So, even if LSU did do a sample, and if everything went alright, then why did New Millennium Concepts have to manufacture a LSU lab analysis report? Then I got to thinking, if New Millennium Concept (the company the main distributor for Black Berkey filters) is confident in their product, then
Why don't they have any Quality Assurance procedures put into place?
Why don't they have their filters annually tested?
Why don't they get an NSF (National Sanitation Foundation) certification.
Why don't they have a Micron Rating for their filter...Nominal or Absolute?
There I spoke with Valarie who was also very nice, she spend nearly 30 minutes talking to me on the phone about my questions. However, even though she was nice, she wasn't able to provide any logical explanations on why New Millennium Concepts did not provide any quality assurance testing on their filters, or why they do NOT recertify their filters annually to ensure that they are still working properly. When I pressed her on this issue, she explained that the tests were several hundred dollars apiece and that's why they did not do them frequently. Furthermore, her testament as to the quality of the Berkey Filters was that, "no one had ever gotten sick from using our Black Berkey filters". She went on to say that New Millennium Concepts has been in business since 1997 and they do a lot of business. She said that they sold over 350,000 dollars of product in December 2010 alone.
In conclusion, if New Millennium Concepts has been around as long as they say they have, and if they are selling over a quarter of a million dollars a month; then there is NO acceptable reason why they have not obtained an NSF certification, fail to conduct quality assurance on their products, or subject their filters to annual independent lab tests. These three steps would ensure the quality of their filters beyond doubt. Simply saying, "that no one has ever gotten sick using a Berkey Filter" is impossible to prove and meaningless. I have been drinking tap water for 30 years with all the fluoride, chlorine, and bacteria, and I have never gotten sick either. The problem is that unless the quality of water that you are drinking is SEVERELY contaminated, you won't get sick right away. Instead, it will be a slow cumulative effect on the body. That fact that Berkey or someone else manufactured lab analysis reports from LSU also scares me!!!
Bottom line is that the Berkey filters make some pretty awesome claims, but do very little to PROVE this to their consumers. History shows us that when a company makes great and unusual claims about their products, they NORMALLY back it up with proof; Berkey has failed to do that. As for Spectrum labs and the University of Arizona... I have yet to hear back from them.
This review is not meant to be negative in any way, it is solely to spread information and get to the bottom of this.
From what I can tell for sure, the best part about the filter is that the water collects in a 304 polished stainless steel basin, which is far superior to plastic! For this reason alone this filter might be worth buying? The Berkey filter will remove "some stuff", and in a survival situation this is definitely better than nothing. However, I am not able to use this filter for my EVERYDAY drinking water needs as several prominent Natural Health and Survival Personalities are endorsing!
If you want more info on how to contact New Millennium Concepts, or University of Arizona, or LSU toxicology department....feel free to contact me at wcoy79@yahoo.com and put "Berkey Water Filter" in subject line.
AGAIN, HERE ARE SOME "FACTS" TO CONSIDER BEFORE BUYING A BERKEY
1) THEY ARE NOT NSF CERTIFIED
2) THEY DO NOT HAVE ANY "RECENT" LAB TESTS ON THEIR FITLERS
3) THEY DO NOT PROVIDE A MICRON RATING FOR THEIR ELEMENTS. (YOU CAN READ WHY THEY CHOOSE NOT TO WITHIN THEIR FAQ SECTION ON THEIR WEBSITE, BUT ANYONE WHO KNOWS A GOOD DEAL ABOUT WATER FILTRATION WILL SEE RIGHT THROUGH THIS REASONING)
4) SPECTRUM LABS APPARENTLY WENT OUT OF BUSINESS SO THERE IS NO WAY TO VERIFY THEY DID TESTING FOR BERKEY
5) DR. PORTIER, THE HEAD OF LSU TOXICOLOGY DEPARTMENT BELIEVES THAT SOMEONE HAS MANUFACTURED THE LAB REPORT FROM LSU THAT IS CIRCULATING AROUND THE INTERNET. THIS IS ALSO THE SAME ONE THAT WAS EMAILED TO ME FROM VALARIE AT NEW MILLENIUM CONCEPTS (BERKEY FILTER ELEMENT MANUFACTURER)
6) I USED A POOL TEST KIT TO VERIFY THAT THE FILTERSREDUCES CHLORINE AND FOUND POSITIVE RESULTS. I AM NOT SURE HOW MUCH IT REMOVES, BUT IT DEFINITELY REMOVES SOME CHLORINE. I AM NOT SURE IF IT REMOVES CHLORAMINE THOUGH. HOWEVER, AFTER POURING REVERSE OSMOSIS WATER THROUGHT THE BERKEY FILTERS AND MEASURING THE pH BEFORE AND AFTER IT WENT THROGH THE FITLER ELEMENTS, I SAW THAT THEY pH HAD INCREASED AFTER IT WENT THROUGH THE FILTER. SINCE pH IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE AMOUNT OF PARTICLES/MINERALS CONTAINED WITHIN WATER, I REALIZED THAT THE BLACK BERKEY ELEMENTS ARE "ADDING" SOMETHING TO THE WATER. WHAT THAT IS, I AM NOT SURE, BUT I DEFINITELY DON'T LIKE THAT FACT.
7) THE MANUFACTURER CLAIMS THAT THESE FILTER ELEMENTS CAN BE USED FOR AN INDEFINITE AMOUNT OF TIME SO LONG AS THE FILTER'S GALLON RATING HAS NOT BEEN REACHED. WHILE I CANNOT PROVE THIS, IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THESE ELEMENTS ARE NOT MADE OF CERAMIC AND THAT THEY ARE MADE OF SOME FORM OF ACTIVATED CARBON. CARBON BECMOES A BREEDING GROUND FOR BACTERIA AND VIRUSES IN WET ENVIORNMENTS AFTER AROUND 5-6 MONTHS. FOR THIS REASON ALONE, ALL OTHER CARBON BASED FILTER ELEMENTS RECOMMEND THAT YOU SWITCH OUT YOUR FILTERS AFTER 6 MONTHS EVEN IF YOU HAVE NOT REACHED THAT FILTERS RATED GALLON CAPACITY. THE FACT THE VALARIE FROM NEW MILLENIUM CONCEPTS SAID THAT YOU CAN KEEP THE FITLER FOREVER SO LONG AS YOU DRY IT OUT WHEN NOT USING IT, SOUNDS A BIT FISHY TO ME.
8) THE MOST IMPORTANT FACT IS THAT WHILE ALL THE ABOVE FACTS ARE TRUE, THE MANUFACTURER AND ALL THE DISTRIBUTORS THAT I HAVE SPOKEN WITH OVER THE PHONE AND VIA EMAIL REFUSE TO Acknowledge THEM AS TRUTH. THIS WORRIES ME BECAUSE IT MAKES ME FEEL LIKE THEY ARE TYRING TO HIDE SOMETHING. INSTEAD, THEY JUST PICK AND CHOOSE WHICH FACTS THEY WANT TO ATTACK AND REFUSE TO GIVE LOGICAL EXPLANATIONS REGARDING THE OTHERS STATEMENTS. IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR THE PUREEST WATER YOU CAN GET, TRY DISTILLING YOUR WATER (I KNOW, I KNOW, I AM OBSESSED WITH WATER). BUT IF YOU ARE ONLY LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO PURIFY WATER IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS OR IN THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES THAT DON'T HAVE FILTRATION METHODS, THEN THE BERKEY OR SOME OTHER GRAVITY FED SYSTEM WILL WORK FOR YOU.
9) THE FLUORIDE ELEMENTS THAT BERKEY SELLS ARE FROM A THIRD PARTY MANUFACTURER AND HAVE NOT BEEN PROVEN TO REMOVE ANY SPECIFIC AMOUNT OF FLUORIDE. DISTILLING IS THE ONLY FOR SURE METHOD TO REMOVE FLUORIDE FROM WHAT I CAN GATHER.
BOTTOM LINE, THESE FILTERS ARE PROBABLY GOOD FOR EMERGENCY SITUATIONS AND EMERGENCY SITUATIONS ONLY. I HIGHLY DOUBT THAT THEY WILL REMOVE ANYTHING THAT THE CITY WATER HASN'T ALREADY TAKEN CARE OF, WHICH THE EXCEPTION OF CHLORINE.
****UPDATE***** MARCH 13TH 2011
please forgive the ALL CAPS, I don't feel like retyping this ;(
I WAS ABLE TO GET IN TOUCH WITH DR. GERBA FROM UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA VIA EMAIL. HE CONFIRMED THAT THEY DID ONE TEST AS WELL WHICH CONFIRMED THE FOLLOWING "Three Black Berkey Filter Formulation Water Purification Units were evaluated for their ability to remove Cryptosporidium parvum (C. parvum) oocysts, and Escherichia coli (E. coli). The average oocysts removal by both units tested exceeded >99.99999"
SO, THAT MAKES 2 ACCOUNTED FOR LAB ANALYSIS REPORTS(LSU & UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA) WITH ONLY ONE OUTSTANDING (SPECTRUM LABS). KNOWING THIS MAKES ME FEEL BETTER ABOUT OWNING A BERKEY....I SUPPOSE. UNFORTUNATELY, THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE LAB ANALYSIS WAS DONE BY SPECTRUM LABS. I SAY THIS IS UNFORTUNATE BECAUSE AFTER SPEAKING WITH A BERKEY DISTRIBUTOR VIA EMAIL, HE INFORMED ME THAT THE PARTICULAR SPECTRUM LAB THAT DID THE WATER ANALYSIS ON THEIR FILTERS WENT OUT OF BUSINESS. I DO NOT HOLD THIS AGAINST NEW MILLENNIUM CONCEPTS OR THEIR FILTERS, UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES HAPPEN SO I UNDERSTAND. HOWEVER, SINCE THIS PARTICULAR SPECTRUM LABS WENT OUT OF BUSINESS THEIR WATER ANALYSIS CANNOT BE SUBSTANTIATED. LIKE I MENTIONED EARLIER, THEIRS WAS THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE OF THE THREE.
AS FAR AS THINGS STAND RIGHT NOW, I AM STILL RECOMMENDING THE BERKEY FILTER FOR LAST DITCH EFFORTS IN AN EMERGENCY. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE CONVENIENCE OF THEIR "GRAVITY FED" SYSTEM COMES IN HANDY WHEN THE ELECTRICITY GOES OUT, NOT TO MENTION THEIR HIGH QUALITY 403 STAINLESS STEEL OUTER HOUSING; BUT I STILL NEED TO SEE MORE RECENT AND UP TO DATE TESTING ALONG WITH SOME QUALITY ASSURANCE ON THEIR END TO ENSURE THAT EACH FILTER MEETS THE SPECIFICATIONS THAT THEY CLAIM. COME ON PEOPLE, THIS IS JUST COMMON SENSE STUFF HERE. I AM NOT PENALIZING BERKEY FILTERS FOR CHOOSING NOT TO PURCHASE THE NSF CERTIFICATION. HOWEVER, SINCE THEY CHOOSE NOT TO SEEK THE NSF ENDORSEMENT, THEN IT IS INCUMBENT UPON THEM TO PROVE THE EFFICIENCY OF THEIR PRODUCT.
AS FOR ME, I AM STILL USING A HIGH QUALITY, STAINLESS STEEL, MADE IN AMERICA, WATER DISTILLER FOR MY EVERYDAY WATER DRINKING (DON'T WORRY, I ADD UNREFINED SEA SALT TO REINTRODUCE MINERALS). WHEN THE POWER GOES OUT, I HAVE PLAN B, WHEN I AM UNABLE TO IMPLEMENT PLAN B I WILL MORE THAN LIKELY TURN TO MY BIG BERKEY WITH OPEN ARMS! I HAVE CHOSEN NOT TO INCLUDE THE OTHER FILTERS I USE SINCE I FEEL IT MIGHT TAKE AWAY FROM THIS REVIEW. HOWEVER, IF YOU MUST KNOW, EMAIL ME AT WCOY79@YAHOO.COM WITH "OTHER FILTER TYPES" IN THE SUBJECT LINE AND I WILL GIVE YOU THAT INFORMATION IF YOU SO DESIRE. GOOD LUCK AND REMEMBER THIS....IF YOU ARE COMPLAINING NOW ABOUT PAYING $4 FOR A GALLON OF GAS, WAIT UNTIL THEY PRIVATIZE OUR DRINKING WATER AND YOU ARE PAYING $4 FOR A GALLON OF WATER!!!!
*****UPDATE MARCH 20 2011******
Here is information regarding my most recent and hopeful prospect to replace the Black Berkey Elements inside of the 403 Stainless Steel housing of my Big Berkey. It appears that this company makes Gravity Filter Elements that will take the place of the Black Berkey Elements. The name of the company is Doulton USA and this is their website: http://doultonusa.com/HTML%20pages/contact_us.htm
Here are some FACTS that I have been able to determine thus far from reading their website. I am currently awaiting an email response to a list of unanswered questions that I still have and will update that information once I have it secured. I encourage you to read through their entire website, as there is a ton of good information to read about. I understand that since they put out the information that it stands to be bias; however, I would also encourage you to check that information via other sources on the Internet. Good luck and please report back with anything that YOU find. Thanks.
1) They are NSF certified (I know, I know, but it just makes me feel good knowing they have it!) use this link and type in Doulton in the manufacturer search engine nsf.org/Certified/DWTU/#function
2) They DO provide an "absolute micron rating" of 0.9 microns with a 99.9999 % removal as well as a "nominal micron rating" of 0.2 microns with a 98% removal
3) They offer an in depth report of how their filters are constructed to include materials used and how it works, as opposed to the Berkey's explanation of the "Berkey Secret" which states, "modern state-of-the-art technology and the highest quality materials".
4) They have ALL NINE OF their independent lab analysis reports (on their website for viewing (unlike Berkey where you have to search and pry) and even though some of them are old just like Berkey's, they provide all the addresses and contact information! Now that is disclosure my friend.
5) They have been making filters since the 1800s and are used by relief efforts like Red Cross and Unicef, just as the Berkey's are used.
6) They also offer Fluoride and Arsenic removal filters
Like I said, my research is premature, but I am happy thus far. Again, I am not knocking the Berkey Filters. I just feel that with all the OTHER options out there, some of which appear to be superior quality and with greater disclosure of their technologies; then what reason is there to go with the Berkey? I hesitate to say that Berkey's are questionable at best, but alas I am at a loss for words.
*****UPDATE***** March 23, 2011
So after further research I have been able to determine that while DoultonUSA.com sells the following Ceramic Gravity Filters: 1)*Sterasyl(tm) ,*2)Super Sterasyl(tm), and 3)*ATC Super Sterasyl(tm) , that they are merely a vendor. The MANUFACTURER of these filters is Fairey Industrial Ceramics LTD (I will refer to them as Fairey from here on out) faireyceramics.com/products/filter-candles-a-cartridges.html
I highly recommend that you go to the Fairey website to read about their filter information in addition to the Doulton website, as I find the Fairey website easier to navigate through. I have submitted a list of questions to Fairey and will post their responses. From what I can tell thus far this is a company based out of the UK and they have their own stringent standards to adhere by as opposed to the NSF. A quote from their website reads, "All Doulton® and British Berkefeld® ceramic filter elements are manufactured under International Standards Organisation (ISO) conditions. They have the highly consistent and controlled pore structure necessary to provide genuine sub micron filtration." Of course since Fairey wishes to do business in the United States, they have dedicated one of their "Pressure Filters" called the ULTRACARB(tm) NSF to be Certified by the NSF (click on link and scroll down until you see this filter faireyceramics.com/products/filter-candles-a-cartridges.html
One thing to keep in mind, is that they use the same ceramic filter housing for all their filters. The only difference is that some have special internal cores inside the ceramic that remove odor, bad taste, lead, ect. Needless to say, just because they didn't pay thousands of dollars to certify each individual filter model (aka 1)Sterasyl(tm) ,*2)Super Sterasyl(tm), and 3)*ATC Super Sterasyl) in addition to the Ultracarb, they all are TESTED to the STANDARDS of the NSF. Of course this isn't the same as holding the actual certification, but I think you get the point.
In conclusion, this company seems to be Extremely Legit. They offer a wide range of filters that can be used for gravity systems, whole house systems, and under the counter systems. I will see if I can put their filters into my Aquasana filter housing located under my sink. I will write back with more info.
Just in case you get confused at to who owns the rights to Doulton and British Berkfield and what the difference between the two are, click on these two links and read:[...]
By the way, I highly recommend you read through both websites, especially the Fairey Ltd one, so that you may be fully informed about these filters. I spent nearly two hours reading through them. Good info!
Also, check out this website to be able to mix and match whatever filters and stainless steel housings you want. Even though it is not Nearly as descriptive as the doultonusa website or the fairey Ltd website, it appears to offer the best prices I found thus far: [...]
******UPDATE***** MARCH 28th 2011
After contacting Fairey Industrial Ceramics Ltd (the manufacturer of Doulton/Berkefeld candle filters) via email, I received Satisfactory Answers to ALL my questions. Below you will see my correspondence with Fairey Ltd: (Keep in mind that this company is based out of the UK and only has a small portion of their market here in North America. That being said, NSF is a United States Certification, while the ISO is a UK certification)
Dear William
Unfortunately it is not economically viable for us to attain NSF certification for all of our products due to the high costs involved. As a result we have had to prioritise which products to put forward for NSF certification and since the North American market is mainly a pressure filter market those are the products which have been NSF certified. However the Sterasyl filter candle is listed under NSF Standard 42 as conforming to NSF material requirements for component safety. One point to also bear in mind is that the porous ceramic used in all grades of our filter candles is the same so the bacteria, cyst, turbidity and sediment removal performance of all candles is the same - it's just that some of them have been put through NSF certification
NSF certification is only valid for 5 years (their rule!) so products have to be re-submitted to NSF for retesting every 5 years and the full testing and certification fee is charged every time by NSF. So you can see why this is a costly exercise having to pay for re-testing and certification every 5 years for each of your NSF certified products.
With regards to our ISO 9001:2008 quality management certification this certifies that our manufacturing facility operates under a rigorous quality management system with extensive quality management controls and tests in place at various stages of production. This is to ensure that all our products are manufactured in a consistent and high quality manner to ensure that all production batches have the same characteristics end hence product performance. The quality management system is independently audited on an annual basis by an external, independent third party organisation.
I hope this now gives you the confidence to invest in a Doulton ceramic drinking water filter.
If you have any final questions then please feel free to call me on the number below: I shall be in the office all of today.
Best regards
Tim
Tim Evans'Business Development Executive
Tel: +44 (0)1782 664430'Fax: +44 (0)1782 664490'E-mail: tevans@faireyceramics.com'Web: [...]
Fairey Industrial Ceramics Limited'Lymedale Cross'Lower Milehouse Lane'Newcastle-under-Lyme'ST5 9BT'UNITED KINGDOM
The message in this transmission is sent in confidence for the attention of the addressee only and should not be disclosed to any other party. Unauthorised recipients are requested to preserve this confidentiality. Please advise the sender if the addressee is not resident at the receiving end. Company registered in England No. 1232580. VAT Number GB 420 9781 49. Registered Office: Albion Works, Uttoxeter Road, Longton, Stoke on Trent, ST3 1PH, UK.
From: William Coyle [mailto:wcoy79@me.com] 'Sent: 28 March 2011 19:40'To: Tim Evans'Subject: Re: Questions About Gravity Filters
Dear Tim,
Why has Fairley Ltd decided not to attain NSF certifications for their Sterasyl candles (i.e. gravity filters)? Also, when you say." our test data is automatically renewed based on 5 year programs. Other information is updated as we see fit and all of it is relevant due to comprehensive quality control procedures and the care we take with our manufacturing (we have ISO 9001:2008 accreditation)"; do you mean that your filters have had Recent (within 5 years) Independent Lab testing preformed on them?
Respectfully
William'Sent from my iPhone 4
'On Mar 28, 2011, at 10:36 AM, Tim Evans <tevans@faireyceramics.com> wrote:
Dear Mr Coyle
Thank you for your comments below and we should like to respond to your comments.
The extent of independent testing carried out by our company is based on adequacy to demonstrate our filter performance claims, and test organizations and protocols are selected to be what we consider the most relevant to the products and markets in which our products are sold.
We can assure you that NSF certification is hard won, cannot be "bought", is subject to annual unannounced audits and a 5 year rolling test program . NSF certification is for specific systems and we have not put any of our gravity systems through the certification system. You can check the validity of our NSF certification by checking our listing on the NSF website at http://www.nsf.org/certified/consumer/listings_main.asp - Enter Doulton as a keyword and select Drinking Water/Water Filters from the drop down product list. You will understand that we cannot give out contact details for other organizations.
As you have noted, the information on our website is comprehensive. Some of our test data is automatically renewed based on 5 year programs. Other information is updated as we see fit and all of it is relevant due to comprehensive quality control procedures and the care we take with our manufacturing (we have ISO 9001:2008 accreditation).
We hope that the above answers some of your questions and helps to convince you that our products will satisfy your considered requirements.
Best regards
Tim Evans'Business Development Executive
[...]
Fairey Industrial Ceramics Limited'Lymedale Cross'Lower Milehouse Lane'Newcastle-under-Lyme'ST5 9BT'UNITED KINGDOM
The message in this transmission is sent in confidence for the attention of the addressee only and should not be disclosed to any other party. Unauthorised recipients are requested to preserve this confidentiality. Please advise the sender if the addressee is not resident at the receiving end. Company registered in England No. 1232580. VAT Number GB 420 9781 49. Registered Office: Albion Works, Uttoxeter Road, Longton, Stoke on Trent, ST3 1PH, UK.
Description of Royal Berkey Water Filter System With 2 Black Berkey FiltersThe versatile Royal Berkey system is the ideal system for use at home with large families, travel, outdoor activities or during unexpected emergencies.
This powerful system purifies both treated water and untreated raw water from such sources as remote lakes, streams, stagnant ponds and water supplies in foreign countries, where regulations may be substandard at best. Perfect for outdoor activities and a must in hostile environments where electricity, water pressure or treated water may not be available.
The Royal Berkey system removes pathogenic bacteria, cysts and parasites entirely and extracts harmful chemicals such as herbicides, pesticides, VOCs, organic solvents, radon 222 and trihalomethanes. It also reduces nitrates, nitrites and unhealthy minerals such as lead and mercury. This system is so powerful it can remove red food coloring from water without removing the beneficial minerals your body needs. Virtually no other system can duplicate this performance.
Constructed of highly polished 304 stainless steel, the system comes complete with two purification elements and utilizes the latest technological advances. This system has a storage capacity of about 3.25 gallons (12.3 liters) and when in use it stands 23" in height with a diameter of 9.5". The upper chamber nests within the lower chamber for transport and stands only 15.25" in height.
Configured with two Black Berkey purification elements the system will purify up to 4 Gallons (15.1 liters) per hour. This system can be expanded to use four purification elements and is capable of purifying up to 8 Gallons (30.3 liters) per hour.
Undersink & Countertop Filtration
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