Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Nitrite

Metropolitan District Commission

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.

 

35

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND70ND
2019ND70ND
2020ND70ND
2021ND30ND
20220.0190 ppm330.0160 ppm - 0.0250 ppm
2023ND80ND

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
2018-07-18AE01630GEND
2018-07-18AE01631GEND
2018-07-18AE01636GEND
2018-07-18AE01637GEND
2018-07-18AE01641GEND
2018-07-18AE01640GEND
2018-07-18AE01632GEND
2019-12-03CE70740ND
2019-12-03CE70739ND
2019-12-03CE70741ND
2019-12-03CE70733ND
2019-12-03CE70734ND
2019-12-03CE70736ND
2019-12-03CE70735ND
2020-06-16AE60685GEND
2020-06-16AE60686GEND
2020-06-16AE60690GEND
2020-06-16AE60689GEND
2020-06-16AE60679GEND
2020-06-16AE60680GEND
2020-06-16AE60681GEND
2021-11-23N300107450 300107453ND
2021-11-23N300107451 300107459ND
2021-11-29N300109635 300109639ND
2022-12-15N300287100 3002871030.0160 ppm
2022-12-15N300287072 3002870750.0250 ppm
2022-12-15N300287053 3002870560.0160 ppm
2023-12-06N300456222 300456224ND
2023-12-06N300456228 300456230ND
2023-12-06N300456234 300456236ND
2023-12-12N300459242 300459243ND
2023-12-12N300459261 300459262ND
2023-12-12N300459237 300459239ND
2023-12-12N300459258 300459260ND
2023-12-12N300459231 300459233ND