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Nitrate, Nitrite = Nitrogen

Nitrate, Nitrite = Nitrogen. Pollutant/Problem. The Environmental Protection Agency has set the Maximum Contaminant Level of nitrate as nitrogen (NO3-N) at 10 mg/L (or 10 parts per million) for the safety of drinking water. Causes: “Blue Baby Syndrome” (humans, infants)

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Nitrate, Nitrite = Nitrogen

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  1. Nitrate, Nitrite = Nitrogen

  2. Pollutant/Problem The Environmental Protection Agency has set the Maximum Contaminant Level of nitrate as nitrogen (NO3-N) at 10 mg/L (or 10 parts per million) for the safety of drinking water. Causes: “Blue Baby Syndrome” (humans, infants) “Brown Blood Disease” (fish) People at Risk Pregnant Women Individuals with reduced gastric acidity Individuals with a hereditary lack of methemogloblin reductase

  3. Nitrite reacts with hemoglobin in human blood to produce methemoglobin, which limits the ability of red blood cells to carry oxygen. This condition is called methemoglobinemia or "blue baby" syndrome (because the nose and tips of ears can appear blue from lack of oxygen). High nitrate and nitrite levels can also cause methemoglobinemia in livestock and other animals. Hemoglobin and Methemoglobin

  4. Wastewater and Septic System Effluent • Fertilizer Runoff • Animal Waste • Fossil Fuels • Industrial Discharge • Disease-causing organisms • Pesticides • Inorganic and organic compounds Sources of the Pollutant

  5. What to do if you have Nitrates? • There is no simple way to remove all the Nitrates in your water • Common idea is to boil, soften, or filtrate as a means of purifying water • None of these methods reduce nitrate contamination • Boiling increases the nitrate concentration and filters do not remove a significant degree of nitrate • Long-term option find a new source of water • Drilling a new well • Connecting to public water

  6. Impact on organisms in the water • High concentrations of nitrate and/or nitrite can produce "brown blood disease" in fish. • Nitrite enters the bloodstream through the gills and turns the blood a chocolate-brown color. As in humans, nitrite reacts with hemoglobin to form methemoglobin • Brown blood cannot carry sufficient amounts of oxygen, and affected fish can suffocate despite adequate oxygen concentration in the water. • If excessive amounts of phosphorus and nitrates are added to the water, algae and aquatic plants can be produced in large quantities. When these algae die, bacteria decompose them, and use up oxygen. This process is called eutrophication. Dissolved oxygen concentrations can drop too low for fish to breathe, leading to fish kills.

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