Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Nitrate and nitrite

Thousand Trails San Benito Preserve

Nitrate and nitrite enter water from fertilizer runoff, septic tanks and urban runoff. These contaminants can cause oxygen deprivation for infants and increase the risk of cancer. Nitrite is significantly more toxic than nitrate. Click here to read more about nitrate.

 

10

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

4

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20180.0833 ppm62ND - 0.300 ppm
20190.1000 ppm21ND - 0.200 ppm
2020N/A00N/A
20210.1000 ppm21ND - 0.200 ppm
2022N/A00N/A
2023N/A00N/A

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

ppm = parts per million

All test results

Date Lab ID Result
2018-03-13CA3500505_001_001-2018031311280.200 ppm
2018-03-13CA3500505_002_002-201803130831ND
2018-06-21CA3500505_005_005-201806211321ND
2018-10-31CA3500505_005_005-201810310740ND
2018-10-31CA3500505_001_001-2018103108250.300 ppm
2018-10-31CA3500505_002_002-201810310800ND
2019-02-11CA3500505_001_001-2019021116050.200 ppm
2019-02-11CA3500505_005_005-201902111447ND
2021-04-19CA3500505_005_005-202104191219ND
2021-04-19CA3500505_001_001-2021041908470.200 ppm