Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Nitrate and nitrite

Clarkson, City of

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.

 

12

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

11

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20180.495 ppm220.166 ppm - 0.824 ppm
20190.562 ppm220.329 ppm - 0.794 ppm
20200.729 ppm220.689 ppm - 0.769 ppm
20210.532 ppm220.455 ppm - 0.608 ppm
20220.479 ppm220.293 ppm - 0.665 ppm
20230.346 ppm220.0884 ppm - 0.603 ppm

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
2018-02-135313820.166 ppm
2018-02-135313810.824 ppm
2019-02-115914410.329 ppm
2019-02-115914400.794 ppm
2020-02-186491400.769 ppm
2020-02-186491410.689 ppm
2021-02-247158730.455 ppm
2021-02-247158720.608 ppm
2022-03-027803700.665 ppm
2022-03-027803710.293 ppm
2023-02-278431400.603 ppm
2023-02-278431410.0884 ppm