Arsenic in drinking water: An analysis of global drinking water regulations and recommendations for updates to protect public health.

ABSTRACT: Evidence-based public health policy often comes years or decades after the underlying scientific breakthrough. The World Health Organization's (WHO's) provisional 10 μg/L arsenic (As) drinking water guideline was set in 1993 based on "analytical achievability." In 2011, an additional proviso of "treatment performance" was added; a health-based risk assessment would lead to a lower and more protective guideline. Since the WHO does not require United Nations member states to submit copies of national drinking water regulations, there is no complete database of national drinking water standards or guidelines. In this study, we collated and analyzed all drinking water regulations for As from national governments worldwide. We found regulations for 176 countries. Of these countries, 136 have dr

SUBMITTER: Frisbie SH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8985943 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature