Menu

EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

Donate

Nitrite

Plott Acres

Nitrite, closely related to the fertilizer chemical nitrate, comes from urban runoff and from fertilizer applied to agricultural lands to pollute drinking water. Nitrite is significantly more toxic than nitrate. Excessive nitrite in water can cause oxygen deprivation in infants and increase the risk of cancer.

 

16

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2014ND80ND
2015ND80ND
2016N/A00N/A
2017N/A00N/A
2018N/A00N/A
2019N/A00N/A

ppm = parts per million

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL) 1 ppm

The legal limit for nitrite, established in 1991, was based on the rate of conversion of ingested nitrate into nitrite in adults. This limit may not fully protect against the risk of cancer due to nitrite exposure.

ppm = parts per million

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2014-03-18Q1408588001ND
2014-03-18Q1408588002ND
2014-06-12Q1421008001ND
2014-06-12Q1421008002ND
2014-09-09Q1442516003ND
2014-09-09Q1442516004ND
2014-12-09Q1459134003ND
2014-12-09Q1459134004ND
2015-03-11Q1508979001ND
2015-03-11Q1508979002ND
2015-06-17Q1522572001ND
2015-06-17Q1522572002ND
2015-08-19Q1532805002ND
2015-08-19Q1532805001ND
2015-11-19Q1545837001ND
2015-11-19Q1545837002ND