1/30/2014 WHO/EU drinking water standards comparative table
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WHO/EU drinking water standards comparative table
The EU standards are more recent (1998), complete and strict
than the WHO standards (1993).
Some examples are:
- Bromate (Br): Not mentioned by the WHO, 0.01 mg/l guideline in
the EU standards.
- Manganese (Mn): Guideline reduced from 0.5 to 0.05 mg/l.
- Cyanide (CN): Guideline reduced from 0.07 to 0.005 mg/l.
But in some cases the EU guidelines are less strict than the
WHOs:
- Cadmium (Cd): Guideline rised from 0.003 to 0.005 mg/l.
Here is a comparative table of both WHO and EU standards:
WHO standards EU standards
1993 1998
Suspended solids No guideline Not mentioned
COD No guideline Not mentioned
BOD No guideline Not mentioned
Oxidisability 5.0 mg/l O2
Grease/oil No guideline Not mentioned
Turbidity No guideline(1) Not mentioned
pH No guideline(2) Not mentioned
Conductivity 250 microS/cm 250 microS/cm
Color No guideline(3) Not mentioned
Dissolved oxygen No guideline(4) Not mentioned
Hardness No guideline(5) Not mentioned
TDS No guideline Not mentioned
cations
(positive ions)
Aluminium (Al) 0.2 mg/l 0.2 mg/l
Ammonia (NH4) No guideline 0.50 mg/l
Antimony (Sb) 0.005 mg/l 0.005 mg/l
Arsenic (As) 0.01 mg/l 0.01 mg/l
Barium (Ba) 0.3 mg/l Not mentioned
Berillium (Be) No guideline Not mentioned
Boron (B) 0.3 mg/l 1.00 mg/l
Bromate (Br) Not mentioned 0.01 mg/l
Cadmium (Cd) 0.003 mg/l 0.005 mg/l
Chromium (Cr) 0.05 mg/l 0.05 mg/l
Copper (Cu) 2 mg/l 2.0 mg/l
Iron (Fe) No guideline(6) 0.2
Lead (Pb) 0.01 mg/l 0.01 mg/l
Manganese (Mn) 0.5 mg/l 0.05 mg/l
Mercury (Hg) 0.001 mg/l 0.001 mg/l
Molibdenum (Mo) 0.07 mg/l Not mentioned
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Nickel (Ni) 0.02 mg/l 0.02 mg/l
Nitrogen (total N) 50 mg/l Not mentioned
Selenium (Se) 0.01 mg/l 0.01 mg/l
Silver (Ag) No guideline Not mentioned
Sodium (Na) 200 mg/l 200 mg/l
Tin (Sn) inorganic No guideline Not mentioned
Uranium (U) 1.4 mg/l Not mentioned
Zinc (Zn) 3 mg/l Not mentioned
anions
(negative ions)
Chloride (Cl) 250 mg/l 250 mg/l
Cyanide (CN) 0.07 mg/l 0.05 mg/l
Fluoride (F) 1.5 mg/l 1.5 mg/l
Sulfate (SO4) 500 mg/l 250 mg/l
Nitrate (NO3) (See Nitrogen) 50 mg/l
Nitrite (NO2) (See Nitrogen) 0.50 mg/l
microbiological
parameters
Escherichia coli Not mentioned 0 in 250 ml
Enterococci Not mentioned 0 in 250 ml
Pseudomonas
aeruginosa Not mentioned 0 in 250 ml
Clostridium
perfringens Not mentioned 0 in 100 ml
Coliform bacteria Not mentioned 0 in 100 ml
Colony count 22oC Not mentioned 100/ml
Colony count 37oC Not mentioned 20/ml
other parameters
Acrylamide Not mentioned 0.0001 mg/l
Benzene (C6H6) Not mentioned 0.001 mg/l
Benzo(a)pyrene Not mentioned 0.00001 mg/l
Chlorine dioxide (ClO2) 0.4 mg/l
1,2-dichloroethane Not mentioned 0.003 mg/l
Epichlorohydrin Not mentioned 0.0001 mg/l
Pesticides Not mentioned 0.0001 mg/l
Pesticides - Total Not mentioned 0.0005 mg/l
PAHs Not mentioned 0.0001 mg/l
Tetrachloroethene Not mentioned 0.01 mg/l
Trichloroethene Not mentioned 0.01 mg/l
Trihalomethanes Not mentioned 0.1 mg/l
Tritium (H3) Not mentioned 100 Bq/l
Vinyl chloride Not mentioned 0.0005 mg/l
(1) Desirable: Less than 5 NTU(2) Desirable: 6.5-8.5(3)
Desirable: 15 mg/l Pt-Co(4) Desirable: less than 75% of the
saturation concentration (5) Desirable: 150-500 mg/l(6) Desirable:
0.3 mg/l
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