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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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Nitrite

Teal Point

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.

MORE ABOUT THIS CONTAMINANT

 

72

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2014ND120ND
2015ND130ND
2016ND120ND
2017ND120ND
2018ND110ND
2019ND120ND

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
2014-01-16S546661ND
2014-02-11S542996ND
2014-03-12S507228ND
2014-04-09S562545ND
2014-05-27S574963ND
2014-06-10S575072ND
2014-07-08S579448ND
2014-08-04S579673ND
2014-09-02S507232ND
2014-10-09S590753ND
2014-11-21S590884ND
2014-12-10S590916ND
2015-01-15S602909ND
2015-02-04S603717ND
2015-03-09S616378ND
2015-04-15S619650ND
2015-05-04S619688ND
2015-06-17S632697ND
2015-07-01S632798ND
2015-08-18S642087ND
2015-09-14S646284ND
2015-10-05S642818ND
2015-11-04S637321ND
2015-12-04S660431ND
2015-12-04S656769ND
2016-01-19S661929ND
2016-02-18S665440ND
2016-03-15S660140ND
2016-04-08S669341ND
2016-05-11S669564ND
2016-06-09S690991ND
2016-07-18S686721ND
2016-08-02S690577ND
2016-09-22S710144ND
2016-10-10S693872ND
2016-11-03S694533ND
2016-12-07S694630ND
2017-01-10S714245ND
2017-02-03S695081ND
2017-03-13S723633ND
2017-04-04S723608ND
2017-05-03S750102ND
2017-06-02S751333ND
2017-07-07S740658ND
2017-08-04S751021ND
2017-09-07S752016ND
2017-10-13S763242ND
2017-11-09S763329ND
2017-12-07S781157ND
2018-01-24S782246ND
2018-02-14S783419ND
2018-03-12S799253ND
2018-04-23S799350ND
2018-05-23S813113ND
2018-06-13S800082ND
2018-07-26S792582ND
2018-08-17S783907ND
2018-09-12S800157ND
2018-11-13S781720ND
2018-12-13S853778ND
2019-01-15S860859ND
2019-02-04S860620ND
2019-03-13S870718ND
2019-04-01S872346ND
2019-05-30S883327ND
2019-06-24S888145ND
2019-07-24S896453ND
2019-08-26S896918ND
2019-09-20S909646ND
2019-10-22S920580ND
2019-11-14S919990ND
2019-12-10S919959ND