Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Nitrite

Bristol Water Department

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.

 

26

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND50ND
2019ND40ND
2020ND40ND
2021ND50ND
2022ND40ND
2023ND40ND

ppm = parts per million

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

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
2018-01-10D8A0565-04NOXND
2018-01-10D8A0565-03NOXND
2018-01-10D8A0565-02NOXND
2018-01-10D8A0565-01NOXND
2018-03-07D8C0471-01NOXRND
2019-03-27D9C2628-01NOXND
2019-03-27D9C2628-04NOXND
2019-03-27D9C2628-03NOXND
2019-03-27D9C2628-02NOXND
2020-01-31D0A2597-01NOXND
2020-01-31D0A2597-02NOXND
2020-01-31D0A2597-03NOXND
2020-01-31D0A2597-04NOXND
2021-02-25D1B2168-01NOXND
2021-02-25D1B2168-04NOXND
2021-02-25D1B2168-03NOXND
2021-02-25D1B2168-02NOXND
2021-12-1621121612-003-IOCND
2022-04-07D2D0784-01NOXND
2022-04-07D2D0784-02NOXND
2022-04-07D2D0784-03NOXND
2022-04-07D2D0887-01NOXND
2023-02-23D3B2332-01NO2ND
2023-02-23D3B2332-02NO2ND
2023-02-23D3B2332-03NO2ND
2023-02-23D3B2332-04NO2ND