What is nitrate?

Nitrates and nitrites are nitrogen-oxygen chemical units which combine with various organic
and inorganic compounds.
Uses for nitrate.
The greatest use of nitrates is as a fertilizer. Once taken into the body, nitrates are converted to
nitrites.
If you are concerned about nitrate in a private well, please visit:
EPA's private drinking water wells website
Water Systems Council website
What are nitrate's health effects?
Infants below six months who drink water containing nitrate in excess of the maximum
contaminant level (MCL) could become seriously ill and, if untreated, may die. Symptoms
include shortness of breath and blue baby syndrome.
This health effects language is not intended to catalog all possible health effects for nitrate.
Rather, it is intended to inform consumers of some of the possible health effects associated
with nitrate in drinking water when the rule was finalized.
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What are EPA's drinking water regulations for nitrate?
In 1974, Congress passed the Safe Drinking Water Act. This law requires EPA to determine the
level of contaminants in drinking water at which no adverse health effects are likely to occur.
These non-enforceable health goals, based solely on possible health risks and exposure over a
lifetime with an adequate margin of safety, are called maximum contaminant level goals
(MCLG). Contaminants are any physical, chemical, biological or radiological substances or
matter in water.
The MCLG for nitrate is 10 mg/L or 10 ppm. EPA has set this level of protection based on the
best available science to prevent potential health problems. EPA has set an enforceable
regulation for nitrate, called a maximum contaminant level (MCL), at 10 mg/L or 10
ppm. MCLs are set as close to the health goals as possible, considering cost, benefits and the
ability of public water systems to detect and remove contaminants using suitable treatment
technologies. In this case, the MCL equals the MCLG, because analytical methods or treatment
technology do not pose any limitation.
The Phase II Rule , the regulation for nitrate, became effective in 1992. The Safe Drinking Water
Act requires EPA to periodically review the national primary drinking water regulation for each
contaminant and revise the regulation, if appropriate. EPA reviewed nitrate as part of the Six
Year Review and determined that the 10 mg/L or 10 ppm MCLG and 10 mg/L or 10
ppm MCL for nitrate are still protective of human health.
More information on the Six Year Review of Drinking Water Standards.
States may set more stringent drinking water MCLGs and MCLs for nitrate than EPA.
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How does nitrate get into my drinking water?
The major sources of nitrates in drinking water are runoff from fertilizer use; leaking from
septic tanks, sewage; and erosion of natural deposits.
A federal law called the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA)
requires facilities in certain industries, which manufacture, process, or use significant amounts
of toxic chemicals, to report annually on their releases of these chemicals. For more
information on the uses and releases of chemicals in your state, contact the Community Right-
to-Know Hotline: (800) 424-9346.
EPA's Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) website provides information about the types and
amounts of toxic chemicals that are released each year to the air, water, and land.
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How will I know if nitrate is in my drinking water?
When routine monitoring indicates that nitrate levels are above the MCL, your water supplier
must take steps to reduce the amount of nitrate so that it is below that level. Water suppliers
must notify their customers as soon as practical, but no later than 24 hours after the system
learns of the violation. Additional actions, such as providing alternative drinking water supplies,
may be required to prevent serious risks to public health.
See EPA's public notification requirements for public water systems.
If your water comes from a household well, check with your health department or local water
systems that use ground water for information on contaminants of concern in your area.
For more information on wells, go to EPA's website on private wells.
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How will nitrate be removed from my drinking water?
The following treatment method(s) have proven to be effective for removing nitrate to below 10
mg/L or 10 ppm: ion exchange, reverse osmosis, electrodialysis.
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How do I learn more about my drinking water?
EPA strongly encourages people to learn more about their drinking water, and to support local
efforts to protect the supply of safe drinking water and upgrade the community water system.
Your water bill or telephone book's government listings are a good starting point for local
information.
Contact your water utility. EPA requires all community water systems to prepare and deliver an
annual consumer confidence report (CCR) (sometimes called a water quality report) for their
customers by July 1 of each year. If your water provider is not a community water system, or if
you have a private water supply, request a copy from a nearby community water system.
The CCR summarizes information regarding sources used (i.e., rivers, lakes,
reservoirs, or aquifers), detected contaminants, compliance and educational
information.
Some water suppliers have posted their annual reports on EPA's website.
Other EPA websites
Find an answer or ask a question about drinking water contaminants on EPA's
Question and Answer website or call EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-
4791
EPA Integrated Risk Information System
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Nitrates (NO3) are an essential source of nitrogen (N) for plants. When nitrogen fertilizers are used to
enrich soils, nitrates may be carried by rain, irrigation and other surface waters through the soil into
ground water. Human and animal wastes can also contribute to nitrate contamination of ground water. In
Benton and Franklin Counties, agricultural practices have been linked to elevated levels of nitrates in
drinking water. Although any well can become contaminated by nitrates, shallow, poorly constructed, or
improperly located wells are more susceptible to contamination. Nitrate levels in drinking water can also
be an indicator of overall water quality. Elevated nitrate levels may suggest the possible presence of other
contaminants such as disease-causing organisms, pesticides, or other inorganic and organic compounds
that could cause health problems.


Who is at risk from high nitrates in drinking water?
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of nitrate as
nitrogen (NO3-N) at 10 mg/L (or 10 parts per million) for the safety of drinking water. Nitrate levels at or
above this level have been known to cause a potentially fatal blood disorder in infants under six months of
age called methemoglobinemia or "blue-baby" syndrome; in which there is a reduction in the oxygen-
carrying capacity of blood. The symptoms of blue-baby syndrome can be subtle and often confused with
other illnesses. An infant with mild to moderate blue-baby syndrome may have diarrhea, vomiting, and/or
be lethargic. In more serious cases, infants will start to show obvious symptoms of cyanosis: the skin, lips
or nailbeds may develop a slate-gray or bluish color and the infant could have trouble breathing. A
sample of the infants blood can easily confirm a diagnosis of blue-baby syndrome. It is difficult to
determine the true incidence of blue-baby syndrome in Washington State because it is not a reportable
disease.


Others at risk from excess nitrates in drinking water are:
Pregnant women
Individuals with reduced gastric acidity, and
Individuals with a hereditary lack of methemoglobin reductase.


In addition, some health studies have suggested that exposure to high levels of nitrates could lead to
some forms of cancer, but results are inconclusive




Testing recommendations:
The only way to know if your drinking water is contaminated with nitrates is to have it tested. If you own a
single family (domestic) well, it is recommended that you test your water every three years for nitrates;
more often if you live in an area with a history of high nitrate levels or if someone in your home is at risk
from nitrate contamination.


What to do if you have high nitrates in your drinking water:
If your drinking water sample tested above the MCL for nitrates and you or someone else in your home is
at risk of developing health problems due to high nitrates, it is recommended that you do not drink the
water. Find a safe, alternative water supply until you decide on a more permanent solution.

There is no simple way to remove all nitrates from your water. Finding and correcting the source of nitrate
contamination is the best course of action. Although it is common to think of boiling, softening or filtration
as a means of purifying water, none of these methods reduce nitrate contamination. In fact, boiling water
that contains high nitrates can actually increase the nitrate concentration. Reverse osmosis, ion exchange
and distillation units could conceivably provide home treatment for removing nitrates from water, but
those processes can be complicated, expensive, and generally require routine maintenance. Activated
carbon and other simple filters do not remove nitrates to any significant degree. Home treatment units are
generally not recommended, particularly as a permanent solution to assure nitrate-free water for infant
use.

Your only long-term option may be to find a new source of water. This can be achieved by either drilling a
new well or connecting to a public water supply system that has acceptable nitrate levels. When selecting
a new well (or looking for sources of nitrate contamination around your existing well), be sure to consider
ALL possible sources of contamination. Unlike other contaminants, nitrates are not diluted and filtered out
as water travels through soil, so water wells:

must be separated from possible sources of nitrate contamination, including both leaching and
surface drainage such as barnyard runoff.
should never be within 100 feet of a septic system, where an opportunity may exist for wastes to
enter the well.
should have a sanitary seal specifically designed for the top of the well casing. This seal must be
correctly positioned, with all openings properly sealed, to disallow the entrance of any potential
contaminant into the well casing and ultimately into the water source.
Nitrates In Drinking Water
Nitrates And Diet
Nitrate (NO 3) is a compound of nitrogen and oxygen found in nature and in many
food items in our diet. Generally, the concentration of nitrates in the ground water is
low. The main adult human intake of nitrates is from food rather than from water.
Vegetables such as spinach, lettuce, beets and carrots contain significant amounts of
nitrate. Drinking water normally contributes only a small percentage of our total
nitrate intake.
Nitrates In Drinking Water
Although low levels of nitrates may occur naturally in water, sometimes higher levels,
which are potentially dangerous to infants, are found. Illinois has adopted a drinking
water standard for nitrate of 10 milligrams per liter (10 mg/L) as N (nitrogen). This
standard is mandatory for public water supplies and is used as a guide for private
water supplies. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency also uses 10 mg/L as N as
a mandatory national standard for public supplies under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
The 10 mg/L standard expressed as nitrogen (N) is equivalent to 45 mg/L expressed as
nitrate.
Sources Of High Nitrates
It is often difficult to pinpoint sources of nitrates because there are so many
possibilities. Sources of nitrogen and nitrates may include runoff or seepage from
fertilized agricultural lands, municipal and industrial waste water, refuse dumps,
animal feedlots, septic tanks and private sewage disposal systems, urban drainage and
decaying plant debris. Geologic formations and direction of ground water flow also
may influence nitrate concentration.
Health Problems
High nitrate levels in drinking water pose a health risk to infants because they may
cause methemologlobinemia, a condition known as blue baby syndrome.
High nitrate levels interrupt the normal body processes of some infants. Nitrate
becomes toxic when it is reduced to nitrite, a process that can occur in the stomach as
well as in the saliva. Infants are especially susceptible because their stomach juices
are less acidic and therefore are conducive to the growth of nitrate-reducing bacteria.
(Adults can consume large quantities of nitrates in drinking water or food with no
known ill effects; their stomachs produce strong acids that do not promote the growth
of bacteria that convert nitrate to nitrite.) Nitrite in the blood combines with
hemoglobin to form methemoglobin, which reduces the capability of the blood to
carry oxygen to all parts of the body. This results in the blue condition of the babys
skin.
Infants younger than 6 months of age are most susceptible. However, because of
individual differences in infants, some may not be affected. If an infant is affected, the
skin turns a blue color, similar to the color of the blood vessels located close to the
skin. If a parent or other caregiver observes this condition, medical help should be
sought immediately. The infant is being asphyxiated because oxygen cannot be
transported by the blood. Prompt medical attention normally results in quick recovery
of the infant.
In all cases where drinking water contains more than 10 mg/L of nitrate as nitrogen,
an alternative source of water should be found for the infant. Boiling the water will
not reduce the nitrate concentration; in fact, it actually INCREASES the concentration
by evaporating off the water and leaving the nitrates behind. Water that is high in
nitrates should not be used for preparing infant formula or in any other way that could
result in consumption by a baby.