Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Nitrate and nitrite

Cairo

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.

 

9

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND10ND
2019ND10ND
2020ND20ND
2021ND20ND
2022ND20ND
2023ND10ND

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
2018-06-25AJ92370ND
2019-05-14AK17453ND
2020-07-08AK50256ND
2020-10-06AK61817ND
2021-05-10AK75001ND
2021-05-10AK75004ND
2022-04-20AK99463ND
2022-04-25AK99689ND
2023-04-25AL30254ND