Nitrate

City of Cambridge

Nitrate, a fertilizer chemical, frequently contaminates drinking water due to agricultural and urban runoff, and discharges from municipal wastewater treatment plants and septic tanks. Excessive nitrate in water can cause oxygen deprivation in infants and increase the risk of cancer. Click here to read more about nitrate.

MORE ABOUT THIS CONTAMINANT

Samples

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

Year	Average result	Samples taken	Range of results
2014	ND	9	ND
2015	ND	4	ND
2016	ND	4	ND
2017	ND	4	ND
2018	ND	4	ND
2019	ND	4	ND

ppm = parts per million

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EWG Health Guideline 0.14 ppm

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.14 ppm for nitrate was defined by EWG . This health guideline protects against cancer and harm to fetal growth and development.

EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL) 10 ppm

The legal limit for nitrate, established in 1962, was developed to protect infants from acute methemoglobinemia, a life-threatening disorder of oxygen transport in the body. This limit does not fully protect against the risk of cancer and harm to the developing fetus.

ppm = parts per million

All test results

Date	Lab ID	Result
2014-10-14	141014_01_MUC31	ND
2014-10-14	141014_01_MUC21	ND
2014-10-14	141014_02_MUC71	ND
2014-10-14	141014_02_MUC51	ND
2014-10-14	141014_02_MUC61	ND
2014-10-14	141014_03_MUC81	ND
2014-10-14	141014_03_MUC91	ND
2014-10-14	141014_04_MUC11	ND
2014-10-14	141014_01_MUC41	ND
2015-10-20	S7424	ND
2015-10-20	S7422	ND
2015-10-20	S7423	ND
2015-10-20	S7421	ND
2016-12-21	S10004	ND
2016-12-21	S10002	ND
2016-12-21	S10005	ND
2016-12-21	S10003	ND
2017-05-09	S10809	ND
2017-05-09	S10811	ND
2017-05-09	S10810	ND
2017-05-09	S10808	ND
2018-11-13	S14601	ND
2018-11-13	S14602	ND
2018-11-13	S14603	ND
2018-11-13	S14600	ND
2019-11-12	S16619	ND
2019-11-12	S16620	ND
2019-11-12	S16621	ND
2019-11-12	S16618	ND