Project Partners: IVL Svenska Miljöinstitutet
Grant: SEK 1 250 000
Project duration: July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027
Contact: Gunnar Thorsen, IVL Svenska Miljöinstitutet
Purpose and objectives
The WHO’s guidelines for drinking water are used as a reference in much of the world and form the basis for national regulations and recommendations in many countries. These guidelines are now being updated, including with regard to chemical contaminants in water. This project will update information on the presence of known and emerging substances of concern in surface water, groundwater, and drinking water. Examples of new substance groups for which there has previously been insufficient knowledge include pharmaceutical residues, substances from consumer products, and industrial chemicals. The project will also evaluate which analytical methods are the most reliable and practical for detecting these substances. Since the guidelines are used worldwide, it is important that the analytical methods identified can be used globally, including in low- and middle-income countries where access to advanced laboratory equipment may be limited.
Expected impacts and results
The results will provide the WHO with a scientific basis for the ongoing revision of the guidelines. Since a majority of the world’s countries use the WHO guidelines as the basis for their drinking water quality monitoring, this work will contribute to safe drinking water for a large number of people worldwide.
Planned approach and implementation
The project will compile the current state of knowledge regarding occurrence and appropriate analytical methods based on the available literature and other sources. IVL will contribute its expertise to the evaluation of the collected information. To this end, IVL has assembled a group of experts in various fields who will work on the project. This includes experts in chemical analysis, water treatment, sensors, machine learning, AI support, human exposure, and ecotoxicology. The project will run for one year, from July 2026 through June 2027.
The text on this page was written by the project team. The content has not been reviewed by our editors.
Goals and tasks
- Resilient supply and management of water in society
- Build and manage society in harmony with the waters
- Ensure good drinking water quality
- Secure supply and management of water
- Thriving and healthy waters
- Prevent and reduce the spread of hazardous substances
