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Table 2 Guidelines for drinking water quality set by South Africa and World Health Organisation (WHO)

From: Evaluation of water quality and human risk assessment due to heavy metals in groundwater around Muledane area of Vhembe District, Limpopo Province, South Africa

Heavy metal

Standard limit for drinking water quality in (mg/L) by DWAF [38]

Health based guideline in (mg/L) by WHO [39]

Cadmium

0–0.005a

0.003

Copper

0–1

2

Chromium

0–0.05a,b

< 0.05

Iron

0–0.1

< 0.3

Lead

0–0.1

0.01

Manganese

0–0.05

< 0.5

Zinc

0–3

< 3

  1. DWAF Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, South Africa
  2. aTentative guidelines
  3. bFor chromium (VI)
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BMC Chemistry

ISSN: 2661-801X

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