NITRATES FACT SHEET  

Brief Overview:
Contaminant: Nitrates
Category: Inorganic
MCL: 10 mg/L
Source: Fertilizer, sewage, animal waste
Effect: Blue baby syndrome (Methemoglobinemia)
Followup: Retest regularly
Treatment: Ion exchange, Reverse osmosis, Electrodialysis

Details:
Source:
Nitrates and nitrites are nitrogen-oxygen chemical units which combine with various organic and inorganic compounds. The greatest use of nitrates is as a fertilizer. Most nitrogenous materials in natural waters tend to be converted to nitrate, so all sources of combined nitrogen, particularly organic nitrogen and ammonia, should be considered as potential nitrate sources. Primary sources of organic nitrates include human sewage and livestock manure, especially from feedlots. What happens to nitrates/nitrites when they are released to the environment? Since they are very soluble and do not bind to soils, nitrates have a high potential to migrate to ground water. Because they do not evaporate, nitrates/nitrites are likely to remain in water until consumed by plants or other organisms.

Effect:
Short-term: Excessive levels of nitrate in drinking water have caused serious illness and sometimes death. The serious illness in infants is due to the conversion of nitrate to nitrite by the body, which can interfere with the oxygen-carrying capacity of the child's blood. This can be an acute condition in which health deteriorates rapidly over a period of days. Symptoms include shortness of breath and blueness of the skin. Long-term: Nitrates and nitrites have the potential to cause the following effects from a lifetime exposure at levels above the MCL: diuresis, increased starchy deposits and hemorrhaging of the spleen.

Followup:
Retest regularly. Nitrate levels greater than 5 mg/L indicate the possibility that agricultural chemicals may be reaching the water source, and pesticide testing is recommended.

Treatment:
Nitrates cannot be removed from water by such treatments as UV lights, chlorinators, carbon filters, water softeners, iron filters, neutralizers. Nitrates can be removed by properly designed distillers, RO systems, and anion exchange systems. Whereas distillers and RO systems are only suitable for point of use (i.e., one or two faucets in the home), anion exchange systems remove nitrates from the whole house. Nitrate specific resin should be used with anion exchange systems to prevent the possibility of a maladjusted or malfunctioning anion exchange system from increasing the nitrate level due to sulfate exchange. We recommend that persons shopping for nitrate removal systems shop carefully and purchase only from a dealer experienced in nitrate removal.