Menu

EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

Donate

Nitrite

Maunaolu Plantation

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.

 

27

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2014ND40ND
2015ND40ND
20160.0267 ppm61ND - 0.160 ppm
2017ND40ND
2018ND50ND
2019ND40ND

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
2014-02-19C14-02-0088ND
2014-06-23C14-06-0058ND
2014-09-10C14-09-0053ND
2014-12-02C14-12-0024ND
2015-01-20C15-01-0002ND
2015-04-13C15-04-0036ND
2015-07-07C15-07-0151ND
2015-10-05C15-10-0001ND
2016-03-21ND
2016-05-16ND
2016-07-25ND
2016-11-280.160 ppm
2016-12-19ND
2016-12-19ND
2017-03-28ND
2017-05-08ND
2017-07-17ND
2017-10-09ND
2018-04-03C18-04-0007ND
2018-06-25180626-2229-764-ND
2018-08-27180828-2229-785-ND
2018-08-27C18-08-0239ND
2018-12-12C18-12-0020ND
2019-03-11C19-03-0032ND
2019-05-14C19-05-0062ND
2019-07-16C19-07-0143ND
2019-10-22C19-10-0082ND