WHO produces international norms on water quality and human health in the form of guidelines that are used as the basis for regulation and standard setting, in developing and developed countries worldwide. The quality of drinking water is a powerful environmental determinant of health. Assurance of drinking water safety is a foundation for the prevention and control of waterborne diseases. The guidelines developed by WHO are prepared through a vast global consultative process involving WHO member states (India is the member state), national authorities and international agencies, in consultation with the WHO Expert Advisory Panel.
Parameters | Standard limits as per WHO guidelines (mg/L) |
---|---|
Acrylamide | 0.0005 |
Alachor | 0.02 |
Aldicarb | 0.01 |
Aldrin and Dieldrin | 0.00003 |
Ammonia | 1.5 |
Antimony | 0.02 |
Arsenic | 0.01 |
Atrazine | 0.002 |
Barium | 0.7 |
Benzene | 0.01 |
Benzo(?)pyrene | 0.0007 |
Boron | 0.5 |
Bromate | 0.01 |
Bromodichloromethane (BDCM) | 0.06 |
Bromoform | 0.1 |
Cadmium | 0.003 |
Carbofuran | 0.007 |
Carbon tetrachloride | 0.004 |
Chlorate | 0.7 |
Chlordane | 0.0002 |
Chloramines | 0.5 - 1.5 |
Chloride | 200 - 300 |
Chlorine | 5 |
Chlorite | 0.7 |
Chloroform | 0.3 |
Chlorotoluron | 0.03 |
Chlorpyrifos | 0.03 |
Chromium | 0.05 |
Colour in drinking water | No visible colour |
Copper | 2.0 |
Cyanazine | 0.0006 |
Cyanide | 0.07 |
1,2-Dichlorobenzene | 1.0 |
1,4-Dichlorobenzene | 0.3 |
1,2-Dichloroethane | 0.03 |
Dichloromethane | 0.02 |
2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid | 0.03 |
DDT and metabolites | 0.001 |
Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate | 0.008 |
1,2-Dichloroethylene | 0.05 |
1,2-Dichloropropane | 0.04 |
Dimethonate | 0.006 |
1,4-Dioxane | 0.05 |
Dissolved oxygen | No health-based guideline value is recommended |
Edetic acid (EDTA) | 0.6 |
Endrin | 0.0006 |
Epichlorohydrin | 0.0004 |
Ethylbenzene | 0.3 |
Fenoprop | 0.009 |
Fluoride | 1.5 |
Hexachlorobutadiene | 0.0006 |
Iron | No health-based guideline value is proposed |
Isoproturon | 0.009 |
Lead | 0.01 |
Lindane | 0.002 |
Manganese | 0.4 |
Mercury | 0.006 |
Methoxychlor | 0.02 |
Metolachlor | 0.01 |
Microcystin-LR | 0.001 |
Molinate | 0.006 |
Molybdenum | 0.07 |
Monochloroacetate | 0.02 |
N-Nitrosodimethylamine | 0.0001 |
Nickel | 0.07 |
Nitrate | 50 |
Nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) | 0.2 |
Nitrite | 3 |
Pendimethalin | 0.02 |
Pentachlorophenol | 0.009 |
Permethrin | 0.3 |
pH | No health-based guideline value is proposed |
Pyriproxyfen | 0.3 |
Selenium | 0.01 |
Simazine | 0.002 |
Sulphate | No health-based guideline value has been derived |
Styrene | 0.02 |
Terbuthylazine | 0.007 |
Tetrachloroethylene | 0.04 |
Toluene | 0.7 |
Total dissolved solids (TDS) | No health-based guideline value is proposed |
Trichloroacetate | 0.2 |
Trichloroethylene | 0.02 |
2,4,6,-Trichlorophenol | 0.2 |
Trifluralin | 0.02 |
Trutuim | 10000 Bq/L |
Uranium | 0.015 |
Vinyl chloride | 0.0003 |
Xylenes-total | 0.5 |
Zinc | No health-based guideline value is proposed |