Nitrate
City of Linden
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.
Samples
Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)
Samples exceeding
health guidelines
Testing results - average by year
| Year | Average result | Samples taken | Detections | Range of results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 0.0444 ppm | 4 | 3 | ND - 0.0720 ppm |
| 2019 | 0.0471 ppm | 4 | 4 | 0.0170 ppm - 0.0614 ppm |
| 2020 | 0.0459 ppm | 4 | 3 | ND - 0.0756 ppm |
| 2021 | 0.0390 ppm | 4 | 3 | ND - 0.0692 ppm |
| 2022 | 0.0529 ppm | 3 | 2 | ND - 0.112 ppm |
| 2023 | 0.0211 ppm | 3 | 3 | 0.0136 ppm - 0.0347 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
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-01-03 | Q1800198001 | ND |
| 2018-04-04 | Q1814029003 | 0.0482 ppm |
| 2018-04-04 | Q1814029007 | 0.0720 ppm |
| 2018-04-04 | Q1814029009 | 0.0575 ppm |
| 2019-05-02 | Q1918234014 | 0.0499 ppm |
| 2019-05-02 | Q1918234015 | 0.0614 ppm |
| 2019-05-02 | Q1918234016 | 0.0600 ppm |
| 2019-05-02 | Q1918234019 | 0.0170 ppm |
| 2020-04-22 | Q2016067011 | 0.0486 ppm |
| 2020-10-22 | Q2041220023 | 0.0756 ppm |
| 2020-10-22 | Q2041220022 | ND |
| 2020-10-22 | Q2041220011 | 0.0593 ppm |
| 2021-01-25 | Q2101630010 | ND |
| 2021-01-25 | Q2101630011 | 0.0692 ppm |
| 2021-01-25 | Q2101630012 | 0.0411 ppm |
| 2021-01-25 | Q2101630013 | 0.0455 ppm |
| 2022-02-08 | Q2204277005 | ND |
| 2022-11-16 | Q2234545007 | 0.112 ppm |
| 2022-11-16 | Q2234545008 | 0.0468 ppm |
| 2023-02-13 | Q2305588009 | 0.0136 ppm |
| 2023-08-22 | Q2335447005 | 0.0347 ppm |
| 2023-10-24 | Q2345776007 | 0.0151 ppm |