| Nitrate and Drinking Water from Private Wells
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What is nitrate?
Nitrate is a compound that
is formed naturally when nitrogen combines with oxygen or ozone. Nitrogen
is essential for all living things, but high levels of nitrate-nitrogen
in drinking water can be dangerous to health, especially for infants and
pregnant women. Nitrates are also made in large amounts by plants and animals,
and are released in smoke and industrial or automotive exhaust.
How can I be exposed
to nitrate?
Adults are mainly exposed
to nitrate through foods. The main nitrate exposure for infants is contaminated
well water used to prepare formula and other baby foods.
Where and how does nitrate get into drinking water?
Nitrate
can occur naturally in surface and groundwater at a level that does not
generally cause health problems. High levels of nitrate in well water often
result from improper well construction, well location, overuse of chemical
fertilizers, or improper disposal of human and animal waste. Sources of
nitrate that can enter your well include fertilizers, septic systems, animal
feedlots, industrial waste, and food processing waste.
What are the symptoms
of methemoglobinemia?
Methemoglobinemia is a blood disorder caused by having too much nitrate
in your body. This blood disorder has very visible signs and mainly
affects infants. In babies less than 6 months of age, high levels
of nitrate in the body will prevent the blood from delivering oxygen
effectively to different parts of the body. As a result, the infant
may have blueness around the mouth, hands, and feet (hence the name
"blue baby syndrome"). This blue color does not necessarily
mean that the infant is having breathing problems. However, without
treatment and the removal of nitrate from drinking water, the condition
could worsen and affect the baby's breathing. Other signs of blue
baby syndrome include vomiting and diarrhea.
Pregnant women also do not
tolerate nitrates very well. In women who are nursing their babies, nitrate
can pass through the mother’s milk to her baby and affect the baby indirectly.
What should I do if I
have concerns about methemoglobinemia?
See your health care provider
immediately to discuss your concerns. Treatment is available.
How is methemoglobinemia
diagnosed?
A simple and quick finger-prick
blood test can be used to diagnose methemoglobinemia.
What is
the treatment for nitrate exposure?
Changing your drinking water is usually
the only treatment necessary. The new water should have less than 10 milligrams
of nitrate-nitrogen per liter. Severely affected infants may need additional
treatment. Consult with your health care provider.
How do I remove nitrate from my drinking water?
Please DO NOT heat or boil your water to remove nitrate. Because
some of the water will evaporate during the boiling process, the nitrate
levels of water can actually increase in concentration if the water
is boiled. Mechanical filters or chemical disinfection, such as chlorination,
DO NOT remove nitrate from water.
Nitrate may be successfully removed
from water using treatment processes such as ion exchange, distillation,
and reverse osmosis. Contact your local health department for recommended
procedures. For more information on treatment systems, contact NSF
International, an organization for public health and safety through
standards development, product certification, education, and risk
management.
NSF International
789 N. Dixboro Road
P.O. Box 130140
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48113-0140
Phone number: 800-673-8010 or 888-99-SAFER
Fax: 734-769-0109
Email: info@nsf.org
Web site: http://www.nsf.org
Revised Summer 2003
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