Table 8.
Comparison of heavy metal standard limits for the EU, Netherlands, and the U.S.
| Heavy Metal | EU Limits |
Netherland Limits | U.S. EPA Limits |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Limits | Lower Limits | Short-term Limits | Medium-term Limits | Long-term Limits | Ceiling Concentration | Limit Concentration | ||
| Chromium | – | – | 1000 | 800 | 600 | 75 | – | – |
| Arsenic | – | – | – | – | – | 15 | 75 | 41 |
| Cadmium | 40 | 20 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 1.25 | 83 | 39 |
| Mercury | 25 | 16 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 0.75 | 57 | 17 |
| Lead | 1200 | 750 | 750 | 500 | 200 | 100 | 840 | 17 |
| Copper | 1750 | 1000 | 1000 | 800 | 600 | 75 | 4300 | 1500 |
| Nickel | 400 | 300 | 300 | 200 | 100 | 30 | 420 | 420 |
| Molybdenum | – | – | – | – | – | – | 75 | – |
| Zinc | 4000 | 2500 | 2500 | 2000 | 1500 | 300 | 7500 | 2800 |
| Selenium | – | – | – | – | – | – | 100 | 100 |