Contaminant database
How to read this table…
The aim of this table is to have updated knowledge of the contaminants that we find in drinking water – what they are, what we know about them and how capable distillation, carbon filters and membrane filters (RO, NF, UF, MF) are to reduce/remove them from drinking water.
For membrane filtration, especially of the reverse osmosis (RO) type, there is large variations in quality on the market. Ratings are given for large-scale production systems, and some home systems may not be able to meet the same quality standards.
Our assumptions: Contaminants are assumed to be retained by distillation if their vapor pressure is equal or lower to 53 mPa and at the same time have a boiling point (respectively melting point if there is no boiling point) of 140 °C or higher. These assumptions are based on experimental data from Hanson,2004; Bills,1967 and Hoff,2019, whose retained contaminants have the threshold values mentioned above. Vapor pressure and boiling / melting temperature are the most critical parameters for contaminants, when separated per distillation.
The removal efficacy is divided in three ranges, adapted from Ruel et al.: Red (below 30% removal) – Yellow (between 30% and 70% removal) and Green (higher than 70% removal).
Filter
| Name | WHO | US | EU | EWG | Distillation | Carbon filter | Membrane filtration | WaterStillar | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Industrial compound | |||||||||
C5H12O Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
C4H8O Industrial compound | N/A | 0.35 | SchoonenbergKegel2010 | ||||||
Pesticide | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) C8H6Cl2O3 Pesticide | 70 | 20 | |||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
C7H5Cl2NO Pesticide | |||||||||
C7H4Cl2O2 Pesticide | |||||||||
Industrial compound | SchoonenbergKegel2010 | ||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
2,3-Dichlorophenylpiperazine (DCPP) C9H8Cl2O3 Pesticide | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
4-Chlorophenoxy-propionic acid (CPP) C9H9ClO3 Pesticide | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
C6H5NO3 Pesticide | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Pharmaceutical or hormone | Snyder2007 | ||||||||
Pharmaceutical or hormone | Snyder2007 | ||||||||
Additive | |||||||||
Pharmaceutical or hormone | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Pesticide | |||||||||
Pesticide | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Al Metal | N/A | 600 | |||||||
NH4+ Industrial compound | |||||||||
Aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) CH6NO3P Pesticide | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Sb Metal | 6 | 1 | |||||||
As Metal | 10 | 10 | 0.004 | ||||||
Additive | Dvorak2014 | ||||||||
Pharmaceutical or hormone | |||||||||
C8H14ClN5 Pesticide | 3 | 0.1 | |||||||
Pesticide | |||||||||
Microorganism or pollutants from microorganism | |||||||||
Ba Metal | 2 | 0.7 | |||||||
C10H12N2O3S Pesticide | |||||||||
Industrial compound | 5 | 0.15 | |||||||
Benzo(b)-benzo(k)-fluoranthene Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | 0.7 | 0.01 | |||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Metal | |||||||||
Pharmaceutical or hormone | |||||||||
HCO3 Salt | |||||||||
Biological oxygen demand (BOD) Wastewater parameter | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Additive | SchoonenbergKegel2010 | ||||||||
Additive | SchoonenbergKegel2010 | ||||||||
B Metal | |||||||||
C9H13BrN2O2 Pesticide | |||||||||
BrO3 Industrial compound | 10 | 0.1 | |||||||
Industrial compound | N/A | 0.4 | |||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | N/A | 5 | |||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Personal care product | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Cd Metal | 5 | 0.04 | |||||||
Food compound | |||||||||
Disinfection compound | |||||||||
Microorganism or pollutants from microorganism | |||||||||
Pharmaceutical or hormone | |||||||||
Pesticide | |||||||||
Pesticide | 40 | 0.7 | |||||||
Industrial compound | 5 | 0.1 | |||||||
Pesticide | |||||||||
C14H19NO4 Pesticide | |||||||||
Wastewater parameter | |||||||||
Salt | N/A | 210 | |||||||
Pesticide | 2 | 0.03 | |||||||
Pesticide | |||||||||
Cl- Salt | |||||||||
Cl Disinfection compound | Culligan2014 | ||||||||
Salt | |||||||||
Industrial compound | 100 | 70 | |||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | N/A | 1 | |||||||
Pesticide | |||||||||
Chlorothalonil-amidsulfonic acid C8Cl4N2 Pesticide | |||||||||
Pesticide | |||||||||
Pesticide | |||||||||
Cr Metal | |||||||||
Cr Metal | |||||||||
Pharmaceutical or hormone | |||||||||
C6H3Cl2NO2 Pesticide | |||||||||
Microorganism or pollutants from microorganism | |||||||||
Co Metal | N/A | 70 | |||||||
Microorganism or pollutants from microorganism | |||||||||
Microorganism or pollutants from microorganism | |||||||||
Wastewater parameter | |||||||||
Wastewater parameter | |||||||||
Wastewater parameter | |||||||||
Cu Metal | N/A | 300 | |||||||
Microorganism or pollutants from microorganism | |||||||||
C9H13ClN6 Pesticide | |||||||||
Industrial compound | 200 | 150 | |||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Pesticide | |||||||||
Microorganism or pollutants from microorganism | |||||||||
Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) Pesticide | |||||||||
Pesticide | |||||||||
Additive | |||||||||
Pesticide | |||||||||
Pesticide | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Pesticide | |||||||||
Desethyl-desisopropyl-atrazine Pesticide | |||||||||
C7H12ClN5 Pesticide | |||||||||
C12H21N2O3PS Pesticide | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | N/A | 0.7 | |||||||
Industrial compound | 0.2 | 0.0017 | |||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | 75 | 6 | |||||||
Industrial compound | 5 | 0.4 | |||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | 5 | 4 | |||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | 5 | 0.5 | |||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Pharmaceutical or hormone | |||||||||
C9H5D3Cl2O3 Pesticide | |||||||||
Pesticide | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
C5H12NO3PS2 Pesticide | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
C10H12N2O5 Pesticide | |||||||||
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) Wastewater parameter | |||||||||
C9H10Cl2N2O Pesticide | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
C7H6N2O5 Pesticide | |||||||||
C10H8ClN3O Pesticide | |||||||||
Microorganism or pollutants from microorganism | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Pesticide | |||||||||
Pesticide | 2 | 0.3 | |||||||
Microorganism or pollutants from microorganism | |||||||||
Pharmaceutical or hormone | |||||||||
Pharmaceutical or hormone | |||||||||
Additive | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | 700 | 300 | |||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | 0.05 | 0.01 | |||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Personal care product | |||||||||
Microorganism or pollutants from microorganism | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
F- Salt | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Personal care product | |||||||||
Pharmaceutical or hormone | |||||||||
C3H8NO5P Pesticide | 700 | 5 | |||||||
Pesticide | 0.4 | 0.008 | |||||||
Pesticide | 0.2 | 0.006 | |||||||
Pesticide | 1 | 0.03 | |||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Pesticide | 50 | 2 | |||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
C12H20N4O2 Pesticide | |||||||||
Additive | |||||||||
C8H14ClN5 Pesticide | |||||||||
C7H12ClN5 Pesticide | |||||||||
Pharmaceutical or hormone | |||||||||
Pesticide | |||||||||
Pharmaceutical or hormone | |||||||||
Pharmaceutical or hormone | |||||||||
Pharmaceutical or hormone | |||||||||
Pharmaceutical or hormone | |||||||||
Pharmaceutical or hormone | |||||||||
Fe Metal | |||||||||
Pesticide | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
C12H18N2O Pesticide | |||||||||
Pharmaceutical or hormone | |||||||||
Pb Metal | 15 | 2 | |||||||
Pesticide | 0.2 | 0.032 | |||||||
Pesticide | |||||||||
Li Metal | |||||||||
Pharmaceutical or hormone | |||||||||
Pesticide | |||||||||
Mn Metal | N/A | 100 | |||||||
2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (MCPA) C9H9ClO3 Pesticide | RodriguezMozaz2015 | ||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
C10H11ClO3 Pesticide | |||||||||
Hg Metal | 2 | 1.2 | |||||||
C15H21NO4 Pesticide | |||||||||
C10H10N4O Pesticide | |||||||||
Pesticide | |||||||||
Additive | |||||||||
Pesticide | 40 | 0.09 | |||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Personal care product | |||||||||
Methyl-tert-butyl ether (MTBE) Industrial compound | N/A | 13 | |||||||
Pesticide | |||||||||
Pharmaceutical or hormone | |||||||||
Pesticide | |||||||||
Pesticide | |||||||||
C8H14N4OS Pesticide | |||||||||
C7H12N4O2 Pesticide | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Pesticide | |||||||||
Mo Metal | N/A | 40 | |||||||
Pesticide | |||||||||
Salt | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Pharmaceutical or hormone | |||||||||
Ni Metal | |||||||||
NO3- Industrial compound | 10 | 0.14 | |||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
NO2- Salt | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Disinfection compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | N/A | 0.003 | |||||||
C2H8N2O2S Pesticide | |||||||||
Pharmaceutical or hormone | |||||||||
Nonylphenol ethoxylate (NP1EO) Industrial compound | |||||||||
Nonylphenol diethoxylate (NP2EO) Industrial compound | |||||||||
Nonylphenoxyacetic acid (NP1EC) Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Wastewater parameter | |||||||||
Pharmaceutical or hormone | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
4-Octylphenol monoethoxylate (OP1EO) Industrial compound | |||||||||
4-Octylphenol diethoxylate (OP2EO) Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Pharmaceutical or hormone | |||||||||
O3 Disinfection compound | |||||||||
Pesticide | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Wastewater parameter | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Pesticide | |||||||||
Pharmaceutical or hormone | |||||||||
C13H19N3O4 Pesticide | |||||||||
Pesticide | 1 | 0.3 | |||||||
Pharmaceutical or hormone | |||||||||
Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOA) Industrial compound | N/A | 0.001 | |||||||
Perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) Industrial compound | N/A | 0.001 | |||||||
Pharmaceutical or hormone | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Additive | |||||||||
Pharmaceutical or hormone | |||||||||
PO4 Salt | |||||||||
Pesticide | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Personal care product | |||||||||
Microorganism or pollutants from microorganism | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Microorganism or pollutants from microorganism | |||||||||
Pharmaceutical or hormone | |||||||||
Rb Metal | |||||||||
Additive | |||||||||
Se Metal | 50 | 30 | |||||||
Ag Metal | |||||||||
C7H12ClN5 Pesticide | 4 | 0.1 | |||||||
Na+ Salt | |||||||||
Salt | |||||||||
Sodium dichloroisocyanuric acid Industrial compound | |||||||||
Pharmaceutical or hormone | |||||||||
Industrial compound | 100 | 0.5 | |||||||
Sr Metal | N/A | 1.5 | |||||||
Additive | |||||||||
Pharmaceutical or hormone | |||||||||
Pharmaceutical or hormone | |||||||||
Pharmaceutical or hormone | |||||||||
Salt | |||||||||
Pharmaceutical or hormone | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Wastewater parameter | |||||||||
Tris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine (TCEP) Industrial compound | |||||||||
Pharmaceutical or hormone | |||||||||
C10H19N5S Pesticide | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
C9H16ClN5 Pesticide | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Pharmaceutical or hormone | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Tl Metal | 2 | 0.1 | |||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Sn Metal | |||||||||
Ti Metal | |||||||||
Industrial compound | 1 | 0.15 | |||||||
Wastewater parameter | |||||||||
Wastewater parameter | |||||||||
Wastewater parameter | |||||||||
Wastewater parameter | |||||||||
Pesticide | 3 | 0.03 | |||||||
Industrial compound | N/A | 0.04 | |||||||
Pesticide | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Pesticide | 70 | 5 | |||||||
Industrial compound | 5 | 0,3 | |||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | 5 | 0.4 | |||||||
Solvent or additive | N/A | 0.0007 | |||||||
Personal care product | |||||||||
Pesticide | |||||||||
Personal care product | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Pharmaceutical or hormone | |||||||||
Metal | N/A | 400 | |||||||
Wastewater parameter | |||||||||
U Metal | 30 | 0.43 | |||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Wastewater parameter | |||||||||
V Metal | N/A | 21 | |||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | 2 | 0.05 | |||||||
Microorganism or pollutants from microorganism | |||||||||
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | 10 | 1.8 | |||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Zn Metal | |||||||||
Pesticide | |||||||||
C19H18ClN3O4 Pesticide | |||||||||
K+ Salt | |||||||||
C17H13ClFN3O Pesticide | |||||||||
Pesticide | |||||||||
Pesticide | |||||||||
Ca2+ Salt | |||||||||
Wastewater parameter | |||||||||
Mg2+ Salt | |||||||||
Salt | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Industrial compound | |||||||||
Pesticide | |||||||||
Pesticide | |||||||||
Pesticide | |||||||||
s-ethyl dipropylthiocarbamate (EPTC) Pesticide | |||||||||
Pesticide | |||||||||
Pesticide | |||||||||
Pesticide | |||||||||
Pesticide | |||||||||
4-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)butyric acid (2,4-DB) Pesticide | |||||||||
2,4,5-Trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T) Pesticide | |||||||||
4-(4-chloro-o-tolyloxy)butyric acid (MCPB) Pesticide | |||||||||
Pesticide | 500 | 166 | |||||||
Pesticide | |||||||||
Pesticide | |||||||||
Pesticide | |||||||||
Pesticide | |||||||||
Industrial compound |