Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Nitrite

City of Yakima Water Division

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.

 

27

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018ND60ND
2019ND50ND
2020N/A00N/A
2021ND50ND
2022ND70ND
2023ND40ND

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
2018-03-12ND
2018-03-26ND
2018-03-26ND
2018-05-14ND
2018-05-14ND
2018-07-18ND
2019-03-18ND
2019-05-08ND
2019-05-29ND
2019-06-01ND
2019-07-15ND
2021-01-264071143ND
2021-04-154206703ND
2021-05-134109189ND
2021-07-274142040ND
2021-07-274142041ND
2022-01-264240350ND
2022-04-204268266ND
2022-04-214268270ND
2022-07-144308918ND
2022-07-144308919ND
2022-08-164333113ND
2022-08-234359766ND
2023-04-204442826ND
2023-04-264448498ND
2023-07-184480363ND
2023-08-244500269ND