Nitrite

Cisco

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

Samples

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

Year	Average result	Samples taken	Detections	Range of results
2014	0.0830 ppm	2	1	ND - 0.166 ppm
2015	0.419 ppm	1	1	0.419 ppm
2016	0.802 ppm	4	4	0.605 ppm - 0.934 ppm
2017	1.15 ppm	5	5	0.279 ppm - 1.74 ppm
2018	1.04 ppm	4	4	0.663 ppm - 1.42 ppm
2019	0.786 ppm	8	8	0.260 ppm - 1.36 ppm

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
2014-03-24	SC40661-01_01	ND
2014-08-19	SH41347-01_01	0.166 ppm
2015-01-29	SA50815-01_01	0.419 ppm
2016-03-02	16C0148-01_01	0.934 ppm
2016-06-07	16F0368-01_01	0.803 ppm
2016-08-16	16H0823-01_01	0.605 ppm
2016-10-19	16J0797-01_01	0.867 ppm
2017-02-15	17B0357-01_01	1.32 ppm
2017-06-13	17F0623-01_01	1.17 ppm
2017-09-27	17I1044-01_01	1.74 ppm
2017-09-29	17I1117-01_01	1.22 ppm
2017-12-04	17L0057-01_01	0.279 ppm
2018-02-05	18B0142-01_01	0.663 ppm
2018-05-22	18E0962-01	1.42 ppm
2018-09-05	18I0108-01	1.31 ppm
2018-11-14	18K0442-01_01	0.771 ppm
2019-02-20	19B0402-01	1.23 ppm
2019-05-20	19E0649-01	1.10 ppm
2019-09-18	19I0761-01	1.36 ppm
2019-10-28	19J0974-01	0.780 ppm
2019-10-28	19J0974-02	0.810 ppm
2019-11-20	19K0604-01	0.260 ppm
2019-11-20	19K0604-02	0.470 ppm
2019-12-18	19L0453-01	0.280 ppm