Element/
substance

Symbol/
formula

Normally found in fresh water/surface water/ground water

Health based guideline by the WHO

Aluminium

Al

0,2 mg/l

Ammonia

NH4

< 0,2 mg/l (up to 0,3 mg/l in anaerobic waters)

No guideline

Antimony

Sb

< 4 μg/l

0.005 mg/l

Arsenic

As

0,01 mg/l

Asbestos

No guideline

Barium

Ba

0,3 mg/l

Berillium

Be

< 1 μg/l

No guideline

Boron

B

< 1 mg/l

0,3 mg/l

Cadmium

Cd

< 1 μg/l

0,003 mg/l

Chloride

Cl

250 mg/l

Chromium

Cr+3, Cr+6

< 2 μg/l

0,05 mg/l

Colour

Not mentioned

Copper

Cu

2 mg/l

Cyanide

CN-

0,07 mg/l

Dissolvedoxygen

O2

No guideline

Fluoride

F

< 1,5 mg/l (up to 10)

1,5 mg/l

Hardness

mg/lCaCO3

No guideline

Hydrogen sulfide

H2S

No guideline

Iron

Fe

0,5 - 50 mg/l

No guideline

Lead

Pb

0,01 mg/l

Manganese

Mn

0,5 mg/l

Mercury

Hg

< 0,5 μg/l

0,001 mg/l

Molybdenum

Mb

< 0,01 mg/l

0,07 mg/l

Nickel

Ni

< 0,02 mg/l

0,02 mg/l

Nitrate and nitrite

NO3, NO2

50 mg/l total nitrogen

Turbidity

Not mentioned

pH

No guideline

Selenium

Se

< < 0,01 mg/l

0,01 mg/l

Silver

Ag

5 – 50 μg/l

No guideline

Sodium

Na

< 20 mg/l

200 mg/l

Sulfate

SO4

500 mg/l

Inorganic tin

Sn

No guideline

TDS

No guideline

Uranium

U

1,4 mg/l

Zinc

Zn

3 mg/l

Group

Substance

Formula

Health based guideline by the WHO

Chlorinated alkanes

Carbon tetrachloride

C Cl4

2 μg/l

Dichloromethane

C H2 Cl2

20 μg/l

1,1-Dichloroethane

C2 H4 Cl2

No guideline

1,2-Dichloroethane

Cl CH2 CH2 Cl

30 μg/l

1,1,1-Trichloroethane

CH3 C Cl3

2000 μg/l

Chlorinated ethenes

1,1-Dichloroethene

C2 H2 Cl2

30 μg/l

1,2-Dichloroethene

C2 H2 Cl2

50 μg/l

Trichloroethene

C2 H Cl3

70 μg/l

Tetrachloroethene

C2 Cl4

40 μg/l

Aromatic hydrocarbons

Benzene

C6 H6

10 μg/l

Toluene

C7 H8

700 μg/l

Xylenes

C8 H10

500 μg/l

Ethylbenzene

C8 H10

300 μg/l

Styrene

C8 H8

20 μg/l

Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs)

C2 H3 N1 O5 P1 3

0.7 μg/l

Chlorinated benzenes

Monochlorobenzene (MCB)

C6 H5 Cl

300 μg/l

Dichlorobenzenes (DCBs)

1,2-Dichlorobenzene (1,2-DCB)

C6 H4 Cl2

1000 μg/l

1,3-Dichlorobenzene (1,3-DCB)

C6 H4 Cl2

No guideline

1,4-Dichlorobenzene (1,4-DCB)

C6 H4 Cl2

300 μg/l

Trichlorobenzenes (TCBs)

C6 H3 Cl3

20 μg/l

Miscellaneous organic constituents

Di(2-ethylhexyl)adipate (DEHA)

C22 H42 O4

80 μg/l

Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP)

C24 H38 O4

8 μg/l

Acrylamide

C3 H5 N O

0.5 μg/l

Epichlorohydrin (ECH)

C3 H5 Cl O

0.4 μg/l

Hexachlorobutadiene (HCBD)

C4 Cl6

0.6 μg/l

Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)

C10 H12 N2 O8

200 μg/l

Nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA)

N(CH2COOH)3

200 μg/l

Organotins

Dialkyltins

R2 Sn X2

No guideline

Tributil oxide (TBTO)

C24 H54 O Sn2

2 μg/l

Substance

Formula

Health based guideline by the WHO

Alachlor

C14 H20 Cl N O2

20 μg/l

Aldicarb

C7 H14 N2 O4 S

10 μg/l

Aldrin and dieldrin

C12 H8 Cl6/

C12 H8 Cl6 O

0.03 μg/l

Atrazine

C8 H14 Cl N5

2 μg/l

Bentazone

C10 H12 N2 O3 S

30 μg/l

Carbofuran

C12 H15 N O3

5 μg/l

Chlordane

C10 H6 Cl8

0.2 μg/l

Chlorotoluron

C10 H13 Cl N2 O

30 μg/l

DDT

C14 H9 Cl5

2 μg/l

1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane

C3 H5 Br2 Cl

1 μg/l

2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D)

C8 H6 Cl2 O3

30 μg/l

1,2-Dichloropropane

C3 H6 Cl2

No guideline

1,3-Dichloropropane

C3 H6 Cl2

20 μg/l

1,3-Dichloropropene

CH3 CHClCH2 Cl

No guideline

Ethylene dibromide (EDB)

Br CH2 CH2 Br

No guideline

Heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide

C10 H5 Cl7

0.03 μg/l

Hexachlorobenzene (HCB)

C10 H5 Cl7 O

1 μg/l

Isoproturon

C12 H18 N2 O

9 μg/l

Lindane

C6 H6 Cl6

2 μg/l

MCPA

C9 H9 Cl O3

2 μg/l

Methoxychlor

(C6H4OCH3)2CHCCl3

20 μg/l

Metolachlor

C15 H22 Cl N O2

10 μg/l

Molinate

C9 H17 N O S

6 μg/l

Pendimethalin

C13 H19 O4 N3

20 μg/l

Pentachlorophenol (PCP)

C6 H Cl5 O

9 μg/l

Permethrin

C21 H20 Cl2 O3

20 μg/l

Propanil

C9 H9 Cl2 N O

20 μg/l

Pyridate

C19H23ClN2O2S

100 μg/l

Simazine

C7 H12 Cl N5

2 μg/l

Trifluralin

C13 H16 F3 N3 O4

20 μg/l

Chlorophenoxy herbicides (excluding 2,4-D and MCPA)

2,4-DB

C10 H10 Cl2 O3

90 μg/l

Dichlorprop

C9 H8 Cl2 03

100 μg/l

Fenoprop

C9H7Cl3O3

9 μg/l

MCPB

C11 H13 Cl O3

No guideline

Mecoprop

C10H11ClO3

10 μg/l

2,4,5-T

C8 H5 Cl3 O3

9 μg/l

Group

Substance

Formula

Health based guideline by the WHO

Disinfectants

Chloramines

NHnCl(3-n),
where
n = 0,
1 or 2

3 mg/l

Chlorine

Cl2

5 mg/l

Chlorine dioxide

ClO2

No guideline

Iodine

I2

No guideline

Disinfectant by-products

Bromate

Br O3-

25 μg/l

Chlorate

Cl O3-

No guideline

Chlorite

Cl O2-

200 μg/l

Chlorophenols

2-Chlorophenol (2-CP)

C6 H5 Cl O

No guideline

2,4-Dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP)

C6 H4 Cl2 O

No guideline

2,4,6-Trichlorophenol (2,4,6-TCP)

C6 H3 Cl3 O

200 μg/l

Formaldehyde

HCHO

900 μg/l

MX (3-Chloro-4-dichloromethyl-5-hydroxy-2(5H)-furanone)

C5 H3 Cl3 O3

No guideline

Trihalomethanes

Bromoform

C H Br3

100 μg/l

Dibromochloromethane

CH Br2 Cl

100 μg/l

Bromodichloromethane

CH Br Cl2

60 μg/l

Chloroform

CH Cl3

200 μg/l

Chlorinated acetic acids

Monochloroacetic acid

C2 H3 Cl O2

No guideline

Dichloroacetic acid

C2 H2 Cl2 O2

50 μg/l

Trichloroacetic acid

C2 H Cl3 O2

100 μg/l

Chloral hydrate (trichloroacetaldehyde)

C Cl3 CH(OH)2

10 μg/l

Chloroacetones

C3 H5 O Cl

No guideline

Halogenated acetonitriles

Dichloroacetonitrile

C2 H Cl2 N

90 μg/l

Dibromoacetonitrile

C2 H Br2 N

100 μg/l

Bromochloroacetonitrile

CH Cl2 CN

No guideline

Trichloroacetonitrile

C2 Cl3 N

1 μg/l

Cyanogen chloride

Cl CN

70 μg/l

Chloropicrin

C Cl3 NO2

No guideline