Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Nitrite

Nob Hill 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.

 

25

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND50ND
2019ND50ND
2020N/A00N/A
2021ND50ND
2022ND50ND
2023ND50ND

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
2018-07-31ND
2018-07-31ND
2018-07-31ND
2018-07-31ND
2018-07-31ND
2019-07-02ND
2019-07-02ND
2019-07-02ND
2019-07-02ND
2019-07-02ND
2021-07-074133278ND
2021-07-074133279ND
2021-07-074133277ND
2021-07-074133280ND
2021-07-074133281ND
2022-03-214308953ND
2022-07-064305230ND
2022-07-064305229ND
2022-07-064305228ND
2022-07-064305227ND
2023-07-184480368ND
2023-07-184480366ND
2023-07-184480364ND
2023-07-184480367ND
2023-07-184480365ND