Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Nitrite

Sugarloaf Water Association

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.

 

14

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND50ND
2019ND40ND
2020ND30ND
2021ND10ND
2022N/A00N/A
2023ND10ND

ppm = parts per million

State, National, and Health Guidelines for Drinking Water

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
2018-09-04301809653CND
2018-09-04301809654CND
2018-09-04301809652CND
2018-09-04301809651CND
2018-11-06301812280CND
2019-09-04301909750CND
2019-09-04301909751CND
2019-09-04301909752CND
2019-09-04301909753CND
2020-06-16452000588CND
2020-06-16452000587CND
2020-06-16452000586CND
2021-10-062116626-01ND
2023-11-22452302350CND