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EWG's Tap Water Database — 2021 UPDATE

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Nitrite

City of Tacoma

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.

MORE ABOUT THIS CONTAMINANT

 

61

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2014ND20ND
2015ND230ND
2016ND130ND
2017ND100ND
2018ND120ND
2019ND10ND

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
2014-11-1329191ND
2014-12-0234853ND
2015-06-2910038ND
2015-12-0119375ND
2015-12-0119375ND
2015-12-0119375ND
2015-12-0119375ND
2015-12-0319426ND
2015-12-0319425ND
2015-12-0319426ND
2015-12-0319426ND
2015-12-0319426ND
2015-12-0319425ND
2015-12-0319425ND
2015-12-0319425ND
2015-12-0719577ND
2015-12-0719578ND
2015-12-0819709ND
2015-12-0819708ND
2015-12-0919750ND
2015-12-1019807ND
2015-12-1019808ND
2015-12-1019806ND
2015-12-1620183ND
2015-12-2220392ND
2016-04-06ND
2016-06-07ND
2016-06-07ND
2016-06-07ND
2016-11-29ND
2016-11-29ND
2016-11-29ND
2016-11-29ND
2016-11-29ND
2016-12-08ND
2016-12-08ND
2016-12-08ND
2016-12-08ND
2017-05-11ND
2017-05-11ND
2017-05-11ND
2017-05-11ND
2017-05-11ND
2017-09-21ND
2017-09-21ND
2017-09-21ND
2017-10-10ND
2017-12-11ND
2018-02-07ND
2018-03-12ND
2018-03-19ND
2018-04-11ND
2018-04-11ND
2018-06-12ND
2018-06-12ND
2018-06-21ND
2018-06-21ND
2018-07-19ND
2018-07-25ND
2018-10-18ND
2019-12-05ND