WHO's Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality, 2006, are the international

reference point for standard setting and drinking-water safety.

Element/ Symbol/ Normally Health based

substance formula found in fresh guideline by the
water/surface WHO
water/ground
water
Aluminium Al 0,2 mg/l
Ammonia NH4 < 0,2 mg/l (up No guideline
to 0,3 mg/l in
anaerobic
waters)
Antimony Sb < 4 μg/l 0.02 mg/l
Arsenic As 0,01 mg/l
Asbestos No guideline
Barium Ba 0,7 mg/l
Berillium Be < 1 μg/l No guideline
Boron B < 1 mg/l 0,5 mg/l
Cadmium Cd < 1 μg/l 0,003 mg/l
Chloride Cl No guideline
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 O2 No guideline
oxygen
Fluoride F < 1,5 mg/l (up 1,5 mg/l
to 10)
Hardness mg/l No guideline
CaCO3
Hydrogen H2S No guideline
sulfide
Iron Fe 0,5 - 50 mg/l No guideline
Lead Pb 0,01 mg/l
Manganese Mn 0,4 mg/l
Mercury Hg < 0,5 μg/l 0,006 mg/l
Molybdenum Mb < 0,01 mg/l 0,07 mg/l
Nickel Ni < 0,02 mg/l 0,07 mg/l
Nitrate and NO3, NO2 50 mg/l and
nitrite 3 mg/l
 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 No guideline
Sulfate SO4 No guideline
Inorganic tin Sn Not mentioned
TDS No guideline
Uranium U 0,015 mg/l
Zinc Zn No guideline

Organic compounds

Group Substance Formula Health based

guideline by
the WHO
Chlorinated Carbon tetrachloride C Cl4 4 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 No guideline
Chlorinated 1,1-Dichloroethene C2 H2 Cl2 No guideline
ethenes 1,2-Dichloroethene C2 H2 Cl2 50 μg/l
Trichloroethene C2 H Cl3 20 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 Not
(PAHs) mentioned
Chlorinated Monochlorobenzene (MCB) C6 H5 Cl No guideline
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 No guideline
Miscellaneous Di(2-ethylhexyl)adipate (DEHA) C22 H42 O4 No guideline
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 C10 H12 N2 O8 600 μg/l
(EDTA)
Nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) N(CH2COOH)3 200 μg/l
Organotins Dialkyltins R2 Sn X2 No guideline
Tributyltin oxide C24 H54 O Sn2 No guideline
(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 No guideline
Carbofuran C12 H15 N O3 7 μg/l
Chlordane C10 H6 Cl8 0.2 μg/l
Chlorotoluron C10 H13 Cl N2 O 30 μg/l
DDT C14 H9 Cl5 1 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 40 μg/l
1,3-Dichloropropane C3 H6 Cl2 No guideline
1,3-Dichloropropene CH3 CHClCH2 Cl 20 μg/l
Ethylene dibromide (EDB) Br CH2 CH2 Br Not mentioned
Heptachlor and heptachlor C10 H5 Cl7 No guideline
 epoxide
Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) C10 H5 Cl7 O No guideline
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 300 μg/l
Propanil C9 H9 Cl2 N O No guideline
Pyridate C19H23ClN2O2S No guideline
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), Not
where mentioned
n = 0,
1 or 2
Chlorine Cl2 5 mg/l
Chlorine dioxide ClO2 No guideline
Iodine I2 No guideline
Disinfectant Bromate Br O3- 10 μg/l
by-products Chlorate Cl O3- 70 μg/l
Chlorite Cl O2- 70 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 No guideline
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 300 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 20 μg/l
Chloral hydrate (trichloroacetaldehyde) C Cl3 CH(OH)2 No guideline
Chloroacetones C3 H5 O Cl No guideline
Halogenated Dichloroacetonitrile C2 H Cl2 N 20 μg/l
acetonitriles Dibromoacetonitrile C2 H Br2 N 70 μg/l
Bromochloroacetonitrile CH Cl2 CN No guideline
Trichloroacetonitrile C2 Cl3 N No guideline
Cyanogen chloride Cl CN 70 μg/l
Chloropicrin C Cl3 NO2 No guideline

In comparison to the former WHO drinking-water standards from 1993 many

standards are less strict now
(for example antimony, boron, carbontetrachloride). Some others are much stricter
now, like uranium and DDT.
For chloride, sodium sulfate, zinc and others there are no guidelines anymore