Nitrite

Freeburg Municipal Authority

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.

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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	0.0250 ppm	4	1	ND - 0.1000 ppm
2015	0.0125 ppm	4	1	ND - 0.0500 ppm
2016	ND	6	0	ND
2017	0.172 ppm	4	1	ND - 0.686 ppm
2018	0.0577 ppm	7	1	ND - 0.404 ppm
2019	ND	4	0	ND

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
2014-01-16	37234-001	ND
2014-04-17	38850-001	0.1000 ppm
2014-07-17	40910-001	ND
2014-10-16	42903-001	ND
2015-01-15	12341591	ND
2015-04-16	12689135	0.0500 ppm
2015-07-16	13072390	ND
2015-10-15	13448054	ND
2016-01-14	13809771	ND
2016-04-14	14174117	ND
2016-04-19	14174118	ND
2016-06-02	14483089	ND
2016-07-14	14648779	ND
2016-10-13	15148336	ND
2017-01-12	15583175	ND
2017-04-13	16011825	ND
2017-07-13	16484316	ND
2017-10-12	16947476	0.686 ppm
2018-01-18	1801925-01	ND
2018-04-12	1808601-01	0.404 ppm
2018-04-17	1808860-01	ND
2018-07-12	1818264-01	ND
2018-07-17	1818590-01	ND
2018-08-09	1821355-01	ND
2018-10-18	1827661-01	ND
2019-01-17	1901939-01	ND
2019-04-25	30291248002	ND
2019-07-03	30312120003	ND
2019-10-17	30330396001	ND