Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Nitrate

China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station

Nitrate, a fertilizer chemical, frequently contaminates drinking water due to agricultural and urban runoff, and discharges from municipal wastewater treatment plants and septic tanks. Excessive nitrate in water can cause oxygen deprivation in infants and increase the risk of cancer. Click here to read more about nitrate.

 

42

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

32

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20180.974 ppm550.140 ppm - 1.70 ppm
20190.863 ppm43ND - 1.70 ppm
20200.688 ppm84ND - 1.60 ppm
20211.23 ppm65ND - 2.00 ppm
20221.06 ppm75ND - 2.10 ppm
20231.27 ppm1211ND - 2.20 ppm

ppm = parts per million

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

EWG Health Guideline: 0.14 ppm

The EWG health guideline of 0.14 parts per million, or ppm, for nitrate and nitrite is based on the equivalent health guideline for nitrate, as defined in a peer-reviewed scientific study by EWG. This guideline represents a one-in-one-million annual cancer risk level.

EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL): 10 ppm

The legal limit for nitrate, established in 1962, was developed to protect infants from acute methemoglobinemia, a life-threatening disorder of oxygen transport in the body. This limit does not fully protect against the risk of cancer and harm to the developing fetus.

ppm = parts per million

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2018-09-12CA1510703_004_004-2018091209100.140 ppm
2018-09-12CA1510703_013_013-2018091209001.50 ppm
2018-09-12CA1510703_015_015-2018091209051.70 ppm
2018-09-12CA1510703_017_017-2018091209200.330 ppm
2018-09-12CA1510703_002_002-2018091209101.20 ppm
2019-09-17CA1510703_017_017-2019091707400.350 ppm
2019-09-17CA1510703_002_002-2019091706101.40 ppm
2019-09-17CA1510703_013_013-2019091707101.70 ppm
2019-09-17CA1510703_004_004-201909170635ND
2020-09-16CA1510703_002_002-2020091608201.30 ppm
2020-09-16CA1510703_013_013-2020091609001.30 ppm
2020-09-16CA1510703_017_017-202009161000ND
2020-09-16CA1510703_004_004-202009160845ND
2020-11-30CA1510703_013_013-2020113013461.60 ppm
2020-11-30CA1510703_017_017-202011301450ND
2020-11-30CA1510703_002_002-2020113013011.30 ppm
2020-11-30CA1510703_004_004-202011301420ND
2021-06-15CA1510703_015_015-2021061509451.80 ppm
2021-09-14CA1510703_002_002-2021091409251.40 ppm
2021-09-14CA1510703_015_015-2021091408352.00 ppm
2021-09-14CA1510703_013_013-2021091409001.70 ppm
2021-09-14CA1510703_004_004-202109141030ND
2021-09-14CA1510703_017_017-2021091410000.500 ppm
2022-06-28CA1510703_043_043-2022062809001.30 ppm
2022-09-20CA1510703_013_013-2022092008401.50 ppm
2022-09-20CA1510703_017_017-202209200907ND
2022-09-20CA1510703_002_002-2022092008001.20 ppm
2022-09-20CA1510703_004_004-202209200820ND
2022-09-20CA1510703_043_043-2022092007461.30 ppm
2022-09-20CA1510703_015_015-2022092008502.10 ppm
2023-09-12CA1510703_043_043-2023091209221.40 ppm
2023-09-12CA1510703_004_004-2023091207291.20 ppm
2023-09-12CA1510703_017_017-2023091207450.810 ppm
2023-09-12CA1510703_015_015-2023091208302.20 ppm
2023-09-12CA1510703_013_013-2023091208361.70 ppm
2023-09-12CA1510703_002_002-2023091209081.20 ppm
2023-11-07CA1510703_004_004-202311070717ND
2023-11-07CA1510703_015_015-2023110708072.00 ppm
2023-11-07CA1510703_043_043-2023110709171.30 ppm
2023-11-07CA1510703_002_002-2023110709011.20 ppm
2023-11-07CA1510703_013_013-2023110708241.60 ppm
2023-11-07CA1510703_017_017-2023110707320.570 ppm