Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Nitrite

Golden Valley 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.

 

21

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND70ND
2019ND40ND
2020N/A00N/A
2021ND40ND
2022ND30ND
2023ND30ND

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
2018-01-10ND
2018-02-28ND
2018-05-22ND
2018-06-13ND
2018-08-26ND
2018-09-05ND
2018-12-06ND
2019-03-20ND
2019-05-30ND
2019-08-21ND
2019-12-12ND
2021-03-304090895ND
2021-06-304130293ND
2021-08-174152715ND
2021-10-064184382ND
2022-06-284300551ND
2022-08-174327038ND
2022-10-054350820ND
2023-03-284427369ND
2023-06-194510109ND
2023-07-194480247ND