Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Nitrate and nitrite

Gresham, Village 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)

5

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
20180.320 ppm21ND - 0.640 ppm
20190.118 ppm21ND - 0.235 ppm
20200.119 ppm21ND - 0.238 ppm
20210.135 ppm21ND - 0.269 ppm
20220.175 ppm21ND - 0.350 ppm
20230.0314 ppm21ND - 0.0627 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
2018-02-205311110.640 ppm
2018-05-16544828ND
2019-02-135911650.235 ppm
2019-05-22603273ND
2020-02-186488290.238 ppm
2020-06-02667804ND
2021-02-227157470.269 ppm
2021-05-24728340ND
2022-03-147801300.350 ppm
2022-05-17792064ND
2023-03-148430170.0627 ppm
2023-05-23857329ND