Major pollutant | Origin | Permissible Limits(mg/l) | Affected countries | Health effects |
Fluoride | - Geological origin, mineral weathering, coal mining | 0.5- 1 | India, China, Central Africa and South America | Dental and skeletal fluorosis, Muscle fiber regeneration, nervous system malfunction |
Cadmium | Fertilizers, impurities in the zinc of galvanized pipes and solders and some metal fittings | 0.003 | | Kidney damage |
Selenium | Earth’s crust | 0.04 | | gastrointestinal disturbances, discoloration of the skin, decayed teeth, hair or nail loss |
Arsenic | - Geological origin | 0.01 | Bangladesh, India, China, Pakistan, Nepal, Myanmar, Vietnam | High blood pressure, hyperpigmentation, ,cancer |
Mercury | - Industrial pollution, dental filling, Food (fish) | 0.006 | Indonesia, China, Africa,Philippines, Japan,Kazakhstan, USA,Brazil,Australia, Taiwan | kidney damage, respiratory failure, gastrointestinal failures. |
Lead | - Old piping lines, mineral weathering, paint | 0.01 | Egypt, EU, USA, Thailand, China, Cambodia | Delays in physical/mental development, Kidney problem, high blood pressure |