As per BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) IS 10500:2012, the permissible limit for arsenic in drinking water in India is:

• A 0.05 mg/L (50 μg/L)
• B 0.1 mg/L (100 μg/L)
• C 0.01 mg/L (10 μg/L) ✓
• D 0.005 mg/L (5 μg/L)

Explanation

BIS IS 10500:2012 (revised from older standards) aligns with WHO guidelines: the permissible limit for arsenic in drinking water is 0.01 mg/L (10 μg/L). This was revised from the earlier IS 10500:1991 standard of 0.05 mg/L (50 μg/L). Chronic arsenic exposure causes arsenicosis (hyperkeratosis, Mees' lines, skin cancers, Blackfoot disease). Groundwater arsenic contamination is a major problem in West Bengal, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh in India.

Reference: Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, 27th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.