Table 1.
Threshold concentration values for mineral water and water devoted to human consumption.
| Threshold Concentration Values for Mineral Water and Water Devoted to Human Consumption | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DM 29/12/2003 (Italy) Mineral Water | D.L. 31/2001 (Italy) Water Devoted to Human Consumption | Directive EU 2003/40/CE Mineral Water | Directive EU 1998/83/CE Water Devoted to Human Consumption | EPA (USA) Guidelines | WHO Guidelines | D. LGS. 152/06 (Italy) Groundwater | |
| Ec (μS/cm) | - | 2500 (g.l.) | - | 2500 (g.l.) | - | - | - |
| pH | - | ≥6.5–9.5 (g.l.) | - | ≥6.5–9.5 (g.l.) | ≥6.5–8.5 | - | - |
| Aluminum (μg/L) | - | 200 (g.l.) | - | 200 (g.l.) | - | 200 | 200 |
| Ammonium (mg/L) | - | 0.5 (g.l.) | - | 0.5 (g.l.) | - | - | <0.05 |
| Antimony (μg/L) | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 20 | 5 |
| Arsenic (μg/L) | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Barium (μg/L) | 1000 | - | 1000 | - | 2000 | 1300 | - |
| Beryllium (μg/L) | - | - | - | - | 4 | - | 4 |
| Boron (μg/L) | 5000 | 1000 | - | 1000 | - | 2400 | 1000 |
| Cadmium (μg/L) | 3 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 5 |
| Chlorides (mg/L) | - | 250 (g.l.) | - | 250 (g.l.) | - | 250 | - |
| Chromium (μg/L) | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 100 | 50 | 50 |
| Iron (μg/L) | - | 200 (g.l.) | - | 200 (g.l.) | 200 | - | 200 |
| Fluorides (mg/L) | 5 (1.5 *) | 1.5 | 5 | 1.5 | 4 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| Phosphorus (mg/L) | - | - | - | 5 | - | - | - |
| Lead (μg/L) | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 15 | 10 | 10 |
| Manganese (μg/L) | 500 | 50 (g.l.) | 500 | 50 (g.l.) | - | 400 | 50 |
| Mercury (μg/L) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 1 |
| Molybdenum (μg/L) | - | - | - | - | - | 70 | - |
| Nickel (μg/L) | 20 | - | 20 | 20 | - | 70 | 20 |
| Nitrates (mg/L) | 45 (10 *) | 50 | 50 | 50 | 10 | 50 | - |
| Nitrites (mg/L) | 0.02 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 1 | 3 | 0.5 |
| Copper (μg/L) | 1000 | 1000 | 1000 | 2000 | 1300 | 2000 | 1000 |
| Selenium (μg/L) | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 50 | 40 | 10 |
| Sodium (mg/L) | - | 200 (g.l.) | - | 200 (g.l.) | - | 200 | - |
| Sulphates (mg/L) | - | 250 (g.l.) | - | 250 (g.l.) | - | 500 | 250 |
| Thallium (μg/L) | - | - | - | - | 0.5/2 | - | 2 |
| Uranium (μg/L) | - | - | - | - | 30 | 30 | - |
| Vanadium (μg/L) | - | 140 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Zinc (μg/L) | - | - | - | - | - | 3000 | 3000 |
(*) Legal threshold concentration value for water devoted to consumption by infants; (g.l.) guidelines.