Article - Comparison of Arsenic and Boron Limits in Drinking Water According to WHO and EPA

The appearance of arsenic and boron in drinking water is not a minor technicality—it is a pressing issue for public health. The challenge becomes sharper in arid regions, where people depend almost entirely on groundwater as their main source of supply. Institutions such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have tried to set protective limits, yet a closer look shows that their numbers do not always match. This study compares the limits defined by these two organizations for arsenic and boron. To do so, we reviewed the most recent regulatory documents available at the international level. The results are clear: for arsenic, both WHO and EPA converge at 0.01 mg/L, showing a rare global consensus. For boron, however, the story changes—WHO sets its guideline at 2.4 mg/L, while the EPA advises a more cautious 2.0 mg/L. Such a difference may appear trivial on paper, but in regions where these contaminants occur naturally at elevated concentrations—southern Peru being one example—it can decide whether water is classified as safe or unsafe. These findings underline the importance of seeking greater alignment between regulatory frameworks, not only to ensure consistency but also to strengthen global efforts in protecting public health.