Table 1.
Regulatory limits [μg/L (except for asbestos)] for chemicals in drinking water established by the WHO (2011), the U.S. EPA (2009), and the EU Council (1998).
| Chemical | WHO | U.S. EPA | EU | Chemical group |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acrylamide | 0.5 | a | 0.1 | Organic |
| Alachlor | 20 | 2 | — | Organic |
| Aldicarb | 10 | — | — | Organic |
| Aldrin + dieldrin | 0.03 | — | — | Organic |
| Antimony | 20 | 6 | 5.0 | Inorganic |
| Arsenic | 10 | 10 | 10 | Inorganic |
| Asbestos (million fibers >10 μm per liter) | — | 7 | — | Inorganic |
| Atrazine | 100b | 3 | — | Organic |
| Barium | 700 | 2,000 | — | Inorganic |
| Benzene | 10 | 5 | 1.0 | Organic |
| Benzo[a]pyrene | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.010 | Organic |
| Berylium | — | 4 | — | Inorganic |
| Boron | 2,400 | — | 1,000 | Inorganic |
| Bromate | 10 | 10 | 10 | DBP |
| Bromodichloromethane | 60 | — | — | DBP |
| Bromoform | 100 | — | — | DBP |
| Cadmium | 3 | 5 | 5.0 | Inorganic |
| Carbofuran | 7 | 40 | — | Organic |
| Carbon tetrachloride | 4 | 5 | — | Organic |
| Chloramines (as Cl2) | — | 4,000 | — | Disinfectant |
| Chlorate | 700 | — | — | DBP |
| Chlordane | 0.2 | 2 | — | Organic |
| Chlorine | 5,000 | 4,000 | — | Disinfectant |
| Chlorine dioxide | — | 800 | — | Disinfectant |
| Chlorite | 700 | 1,000 | — | DBP |
| Chlorobenzene | — | 100 | — | Organic |
| Chloroform | 300 | — | — | DBP |
| Chlorotoluron | 30 | — | — | Organic |
| Chlorpyrifos | 30 | — | — | Organic |
| Chromium (total) | 50 | 100 | 50 | Inorganic |
| Copper | 2,000 | 13,000 | 2,000 | Inorganic |
| Cyanazine | 0.6 | — | — | Organic |
| Cyanide | — | 200 | 50 | Inorganic |
| 2,4-D (dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) | 30 | 70 | — | Organic |
| Dalapon | — | 200 | — | Organic |
| 2,4-DB (dichlorofenoxybutyric acid) | 90 | — | — | Organic |
| DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) and metabolites | 1 | — | — | Organic |
| Dibromochloromethane | 100 | — | — | DBP |
| 1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP) | 1 | 0.2 | — | Organic |
| 1,2-Dibromoethane | 0.4 | — | — | Organic |
| Dichloroacetate | 50 | — | — | DBP |
| Dichloroacetonitrile | 20 | — | — | DBP |
| 1,2-Dichlorobenzene (o-dichlorobenzene) | 1,000 | 600 | — | Organic |
| 1,4-Dichlorobenzene (p-dichlorobenzene) | 300 | 75 | — | Organic |
| 1,2-Dichloroethane | 30 | 5 | 3.0 | Organic |
| 1,2-Dichloroethene | 50 | — | — | Organic |
| 1,1-Dichloroethylene | — | 7 | — | Organic |
| cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene | — | 70 | — | Organic |
| trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene | — | 100 | — | Organic |
| Dichloromethane | 20 | 5 | — | Organic |
| 1,2-Dichloropropane | 40 | 5 | — | Organic |
| 1,3-Dichloropropene | 20 | — | — | Organic |
| Dichlorprop | 100 | — | — | Organic |
| Di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate | — | 400 | — | Organic |
| Di(2-ethylhexyl) phtalate | 8 | 6 | — | Organic |
| Dimethoate | 6 | — | — | Organic |
| Dinoseb | — | 7 | — | Organic |
| 1,4-Dioxane | 50 | — | — | Organic |
| Dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD) | — | 0.00003 | — | Organic |
| Diquat | — | 20 | — | Organic |
| Edetic acid | 600 | — | — | Organic |
| Endothall | — | 100 | — | Organic |
| Endrin | 0.6 | 2 | — | Organic |
| Epichlorohydrin | 0.4 | a | 0.10 | Organic |
| Ethylbenzene | 300 | 700 | — | Organic |
| Ethylene dibromide | — | 0.05 | — | Organic |
| Fenoprop/Silvex/2,4,5-TP/2-(2,4,5- trichlorophenoxy)propionic acid | 9 | 50 | — | Organic |
| Fluoride | 1,500 | 4,000 | 1,500 | Inorganic |
| Glyphosate | — | 700 | — | Organic |
| Haloacetic acids (HAAs)c | — | 60 | — | DBP |
| Heptachlor | — | 0.4 | — | Organic |
| Heptachlor epoxide | — | 0.2 | — | Organic |
| Hexachlorobenzene | — | 1 | — | Organic |
| Hexachlorobutadiene | 0.6 | — | — | Organic |
| Hexachlorocyclopentadiene | — | 50 | — | Organic |
| Hydroxyatrazine | 200 | — | — | Organic |
| Isoproturon | 9 | — | — | Organic |
| Lead | 10 | 15 | 10 | Inorganic |
| Lindane | 2 | 0.2 | — | Organic |
| Mecoprop | 10 | — | — | Organic |
| Mercury | 6 | 2 | 1.0 | Inorganic |
| 4-(2-Methyl-4-chlorophenoxy) acetic acid (MCPA) | 2 | — | — | Organic |
| Methoxyclor | 20 | 40 | — | Organic |
| Metolachlor | 10 | — | — | Organic |
| Microcystin-LR | 1 | — | — | Algal toxin |
| Molinate | 6 | — | — | Organic |
| Monochloramine | 3,000 | — | — | Disinfectant |
| Monochloroacetate | 20 | — | — | DBP |
| Nickel | 70 | — | 20 | Inorganic |
| Nitrate | 50,000 | 45,000 | 50,000 | Inorganic |
| Nitrilotriacetic acid | 200 | — | — | Organic |
| Nitrite | 3,000 | 4,500 | 500 | Inorganic |
| N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) | 0.1 | — | — | DBP |
| Oxamyl (Vydate®) | — | 200 | — | Organic |
| Pendimethalin | 20 | — | — | Organic |
| Pentachlorophenol | 9 | 1 | — | Organic |
| Pesticides | — | — | 0.10 | Organic |
| Pesticides (total) | — | — | 0.50 | Organic |
| Picloram | — | 500 | — | Organic |
| Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) | — | 0.5 | — | Organic |
| Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons | — | — | 0.10 | Organic |
| Selenium | 40 | 50 | 10 | Inorganic |
| Simazine | 2 | 4 | — | Organic |
| Sodium dichloroisocyanurate/cyanuric acid | 50,000/40,000 | — | — | Disinfectant |
| Styrene | 20 | 100 | — | Organic |
| Tertbutylazine | 7 | — | — | Organic |
| Tetrachloroethene (tetrachloroethylene) | 40 | 5 | — | Organic |
| Tetrachloroethylene + trichloroethylene | — | — | 10 | Organic |
| Thallium | — | 2 | — | Inorganic |
| Toluene | 700 | 1,000 | — | Organic |
| Toxaphene | — | 3 | — | Organic |
| Trichloroacetate | 200 | — | — | DBP |
| 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene | — | 70 | — | Organic |
| 1,1,1-Trichloroethane | — | 200 | — | Organic |
| 1,1,2-Trichloroethane | — | 5 | — | Organic |
| Trichloroethene/trichloroethylene | 20 | 5 | — | Organic |
| 2,4,6-Trichlorophenol | 200 | — | — | Organic |
| 2,4,5-T (2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid) | 9 | — | — | Organic |
| Trifluralin | 20 | — | — | Organic |
| Trihalomethanes (total) | — | 80 | 100 | DBP |
| Vinyl chloride | 0.3 | 2 | 0.50 | Organic |
| Xylenes | 500 | 10,000 | — | Organic |
| DBP, disinfection by-product.aEach water system must certify annually that when it uses acrylamide and/or epichlorohydrin to treat water, the combination of dose and monomer level does not exceed the levels specified, as follows: acrylamide = 0.05% dosed at 1 mg/L (or equivalent); epichlorohydrin = 0.01% dosed at 20 mg/L (or equivalent). bIncludes its chloro-s-triazine metabolites. cIncludes the sum of monochloroacetic acid, dichloroacetic acid, trichloroacetic acid, monobromoacetic acid, and dibromoacetic acid. | ||||