Know Your Environment. Protect Your Health.

Nitrite

Altoona Waterworks

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.

 

14

Samples

0

Samples exceeding legal limit (MCL)

0

Samples exceeding
health guidelines

Testing results - average by year

 
YearAverage resultSamples takenDetectionsRange of results
2018N/A00N/A
2019N/A00N/A
2020ND60ND
2021N/A00N/A
2022N/A00N/A
2023ND80ND

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
2020-06-161193790ND
2020-06-161193791ND
2020-06-161193786ND
2020-06-161193788ND
2020-06-161193789ND
2020-06-161193787ND
2023-01-25CB00795-01ND
2023-01-26CB00861-01ND
2023-07-31CB08782-04ND
2023-07-31CB08782-07ND
2023-07-31CB08782-10ND
2023-07-31CB08782-01ND
2023-08-01CB08877-04ND
2023-08-01CB08877-01ND