WHO's drinking water standards 1993

WHO's Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality, set up in

Geneva, 1993, are the international reference point for
standard setting and drinking-water safety.
Element/ Symbol/ Normally found in Health based
substance formula fresh guideline by the
water/surface WHO
water/ground
water
Aluminium Al 0,2 mg/l
Ammonia NH4 < 0,2 mg/l (up to No guideline
0,3 mg/l in
anaerobic waters)
Antimony Sb < 4 μg/l 0.005 mg/l
Arsenic As 0,01 mg/l
Asbestos No guideline
Barium Ba 0,3 mg/l
Berillium Be < 1 μg/l No guideline
Boron B < 1 mg/l 0,3 mg/l
Cadmium Cd < 1 μg/l 0,003 mg/l
Chloride Cl 250 mg/l
Chromium Cr+3, Cr+6 < 2 μg/l 0,05 mg/l
Colour Not mentioned
Copper Cu 2 mg/l
Cyanide CN- 0,07 mg/l
Dissolved oxygen O2 No guideline
Fluoride F < 1,5 mg/l (up to 1,5 mg/l
10)
Hardness mg/l CaCO3 No guideline
Hydrogen sulfide H2S No guideline
Iron Fe 0,5 - 50 mg/l No guideline
Lead Pb 0,01 mg/l
Manganese Mn 0,5 mg/l
Mercury Hg < 0,5 μg/l 0,001 mg/l
Molybdenum Mb < 0,01 mg/l 0,07 mg/l
Nickel Ni < 0,02 mg/l 0,02 mg/l
Nitrate and nitrite NO3, NO2 50 mg/l total
nitrogen
Turbidity Not mentioned
pH No guideline
Selenium Se < < 0,01 mg/l 0,01 mg/l
Silver Ag 5 – 50 μg/l No guideline
Sodium Na < 20 mg/l 200 mg/l
Sulfate SO4 500 mg/l
Inorganic tin Sn No guideline
TDS No guideline
Uranium U 1,4 mg/l
Zinc Zn 3 mg/l
Organic compounds

Group Substance Formula Health based

guideline by
the WHO
Chlorinated Carbon tetrachloride C Cl4 2 μg/l
alkanes Dichloromethane C H2 Cl2 20 μg/l
1,1-Dichloroethane C2 H4 Cl2 No guideline
1,2-Dichloroethane Cl CH2 CH2 Cl 30 μg/l
1,1,1-Trichloroethane CH3 C Cl3 2000 μg/l
Chlorinated 1,1-Dichloroethene C2 H2 Cl2 30 μg/l
ethenes 1,2-Dichloroethene C2 H2 Cl2 50 μg/l
Trichloroethene C2 H Cl3 70 μg/l
Tetrachloroethene C2 Cl4 40 μg/l
Aromatic Benzene C6 H 6 10 μg/l
hydrocarbons Toluene C7 H 8 700 μg/l
Xylenes C8 H10 500 μg/l
Ethylbenzene C8 H10 300 μg/l
Styrene C8 H 8 20 μg/l
 Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons C2 H3 N1 O5 P1 3 0.7 μg/l
(PAHs)
Chlorinated Monochlorobenzene (MCB) C6 H5 Cl 300 μg/l
benzenes Dichlorobenzenes 1,2- C6 H4 Cl2 1000 μg/l
(DCBs) Dichlorobenzene
(1,2-DCB)
1,3- C6 H4 Cl2 No guideline
Dichlorobenzene
(1,3-DCB)
1,4- C6 H4 Cl2 300 μg/l
Dichlorobenzene
(1,4-DCB)
Trichlorobenzenes (TCBs) C6 H3 Cl3 20 μg/l
Miscellaneous Di(2-ethylhexyl)adipate (DEHA) C22 H42 O4 80 μg/l
organic Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) C24 H38 O4 8 μg/l
constituents Acrylamide C3 H 5 N O 0.5 μg/l
Epichlorohydrin (ECH) C3 H5 Cl O 0.4 μg/l
Hexachlorobutadiene (HCBD) C4 Cl6 0.6 μg/l
Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) C10 H12 N2 O8 200 μg/l
Nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) N(CH2COOH)3 200 μg/l
Organotins Dialkyltins R2 Sn X2 No guideline
Tributil oxide C24 H54 O Sn2 2 μg/l
(TBTO)

Pesticides

Substance Formula Health based

guideline by the
WHO
Alachlor C14 H20 Cl N O2 20 μg/l
Aldicarb C7 H14 N2 O4 S 10 μg/l
Aldrin and dieldrin C12 H8 Cl6/ 0.03 μg/l

C12 H8 Cl6 O
Atrazine C8 H14 Cl N5 2 μg/l
Bentazone C10 H12 N2 O3 S 30 μg/l
Carbofuran C12 H15 N O3 5 μg/l
Chlordane C10 H6 Cl8 0.2 μg/l
Chlorotoluron C10 H13 Cl N2 O 30 μg/l
DDT C14 H9 Cl5 2 μg/l
1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane C3 H5 Br2 Cl 1 μg/l
2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid C8 H6 Cl2 O3 30 μg/l
(2,4-D)
 1,2-Dichloropropane C3 H6 Cl2 No guideline
1,3-Dichloropropane C3 H6 Cl2 20 μg/l
1,3-Dichloropropene CH3 CHClCH2 Cl No guideline
Ethylene dibromide (EDB) Br CH2 CH2 Br No guideline
Heptachlor and heptachlor C10 H5 Cl7 0.03 μg/l
epoxide
Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) C10 H5 Cl7 O 1 μg/l
Isoproturon C12 H18 N2 O 9 μg/l
Lindane C6 H6 Cl6 2 μg/l
MCPA C9 H9 Cl O3 2 μg/l
Methoxychlor (C6H4OCH3)2CHCCl3 20 μg/l
Metolachlor C15 H22 Cl N O2 10 μg/l
Molinate C9 H17 N O S 6 μg/l
Pendimethalin C13 H19 O4 N3 20 μg/l
Pentachlorophenol (PCP) C6 H Cl5 O 9 μg/l
Permethrin C21 H20 Cl2 O3 20 μg/l
Propanil C9 H9 Cl2 N O 20 μg/l
Pyridate C19H23ClN2O2S 100 μg/l
Simazine C7 H12 Cl N5 2 μg/l
Trifluralin C13 H16 F3 N3 O4 20 μg/l
Chlorophenoxy 2,4-DB C10 H10 Cl2 O3 90 μg/l
herbicides Dichlorprop C9 H8 Cl2 03 100 μg/l
(excluding 2,4-D Fenoprop C9H7Cl3O3 9 μg/l
and MCPA) MCPB C11 H13 Cl O3 No guideline
Mecoprop C10H11ClO3 10 μg/l
2,4,5-T C8 H5 Cl3 O3 9 μg/l

Disinfectants and disinfectant by-products

Group Substance Formula Health

based
guideline by
the WHO
Disinfectants Chloramines NHnCl(3-n), 3 mg/l
where
n = 0,
1 or 2
Chlorine Cl2 5 mg/l
Chlorine dioxide ClO2 No guideline
Iodine I2 No guideline
Disinfectant Bromate Br O3- 25 μg/l
by-products Chlorate Cl O3- No guideline
 Chlorite Cl O2- 200 μg/l
Chlorophenols 2-Chlorophenol (2-CP) C6 H5 Cl O No guideline
2,4-Dichlorophenol (2,4- C6 H4 Cl2 O No guideline
DCP)
2,4,6-Trichlorophenol C6 H3 Cl3 O 200 μg/l
(2,4,6-TCP)
Formaldehyde HCHO 900 μg/l
MX (3-Chloro-4-dichloromethyl-5-hydroxy- C5 H3 Cl3 O3 No guideline
2(5H)-furanone)
Trihalomethanes Bromoform C H Br3 100 μg/l
Dibromochloromethane CH Br2 Cl 100 μg/l
Bromodichloromethane CH Br Cl2 60 μg/l
Chloroform CH Cl3 200 μg/l
Chlorinated acetic Monochloroacetic acid C2 H3 Cl O2 No guideline
acids Dichloroacetic acid C2 H2 Cl2 O2 50 μg/l
Trichloroacetic acid C2 H Cl3 O2 100 μg/l
Chloral hydrate (trichloroacetaldehyde) C Cl3 CH(OH)2 10 μg/l
Chloroacetones C3 H5 O Cl No guideline
Halogenated Dichloroacetonitrile C2 H Cl2 N 90 μg/l
acetonitriles Dibromoacetonitrile C2 H Br2 N 100 μg/l
Bromochloroacetonitril CH Cl2 CN No guideline
e
Trichloroacetonitrile C2 Cl3 N 1 μg/l
Cyanogen chloride Cl CN 70 μg/l
Chloropicrin C Cl3 NO2 No guideline

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