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The EU standards are more recent (1998), complete and strict than the WHO standards (1993). Some examples are: But in some cases the EU guidelines are less strict than the WHO’s: 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 | |
No guideline | Not mentioned | |
No guideline(1) | Not mentioned | |
No guideline(2) | Not mentioned | |
250 microS/cm | 250 microS/cm | |
Color | No guideline(3) | Not mentioned |
Dissolved oxygen | No guideline(4) | Not mentioned |
No guideline(5) | Not mentioned | |
No guideline | Not mentioned | |
cations | ||
(positive ions) | ||
0.2 mg/l | 0.2 mg/l | |
Ammonia (NH4) | No guideline | 0.50 mg/l |
0.005 mg/l | 0.005 mg/l | |
0.01 mg/l | 0.01 mg/l | |
0.3 mg/l | Not mentioned | |
No guideline | Not mentioned | |
0.3 mg/l | 1.00 mg/l | |
Not mentioned | 0.01 mg/l | |
0.003 mg/l | 0.005 mg/l | |
0.05 mg/l | 0.05 mg/l | |
2 mg/l | 2.0 mg/l | |
No guideline(6) | 0.2 | |
0.01 mg/l | 0.01 mg/l | |
0.5 mg/l | 0.05 mg/l | |
0.001 mg/l | 0.001 mg/l | |
0.07 mg/l | Not mentioned | |
0.02 mg/l | 0.02 mg/l | |
50 mg/l | Not mentioned | |
0.01 mg/l | 0.01 mg/l | |
No guideline | Not mentioned | |
200 mg/l | 200 mg/l | |
Tin (Sn) inorganic | No guideline | Not mentioned |
1.4 mg/l | Not mentioned | |
3 mg/l | Not mentioned | |
anions | ||
(negative ions) | ||
250 mg/l | 250 mg/l | |
Cyanide (CN) | 0.07 mg/l | 0.05 mg/l |
1.5 mg/l | 1.5 mg/l | |
500 mg/l | 250 mg/l | |
(See Nitrogen) | 50 mg/l | |
(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
General information on the drinking water standards
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