The Water Source October Edition from Ben Meadows

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October 2011

Hello everyone and thanks for opening The Water Source.

The other day during a stop at a local gas station, I couldn't help but notice a warning sign attached to their fountain drink dispenser. It was a notice posted by the local Department of Natural Resources stating that the water supply has been found to contain levels of nitrate that exceed federal and state drinking water standards. This instantly turned me off from grabbing a fountain drink, but got me thinking… how bad are nitrates for you and should I be concerned about other water sources in the area? This is why in this issue; I want to go over some common questions on how nitrates get into water supplies, the negative health effects and if you should be concerned.

Also, find out how to get a "Rite–in–the–Rain"® Notebook (a $2.55 value)

for only $1, and receive $1 shipping on your next order by emailing us a little information about yourself and what topics you would like to see in future issues. Look below this month's Water Source article for more details.

Brian
Ben Meadows Product Pro

Nitrates in Drinking Water

Where do nitrates come from? Nitrates are naturally occurring and actually found in most of the world's water supply, but in small concentrations. Higher levels of nitrates are typically a result of a contamination source, which can include septic tank and sewage treatment system leaks, decaying plant debris, fertilizers or animal wastes. The area where the pictured sign was posted is a farming community, which is most likely the culprit to the local problem. Fertilizers and animal waste enters surrounding waterways through runoff and seeps through the soil into groundwater. What health risks are involved with high nitrates? In most cases, it is safe for healthy adults and children over 6 months to drink water with slightly higher nitrate concentrations, but long term exposure is not recommended. The most susceptible to health problems are infants. A condition called methemoglobinemia can occur if they are fed water or baby formula with the contaminated water. An increase in nitrates can result in the reduced ability for blood cells to oxygenate tissues. This also turns the skin blueish-gray color, which is why it commonly also called blue baby syndrome. If left untreated, it can lead to coma and death. For other people, long term exposure to high concentrations could increase risk of cancer, birth defects of offspring or can damage certain body tissues. People with heart or lung disease, certain inherited enzyme defects or cancer may be more sensitive to these toxic effects. How will I know if my drinking water has high nitrates? Public water suppliers are required to routinely check nitrate levels and will notify their customers if concentrations reach higher than the set maximum contaminant level (MCL). The MCL set by the EPA at 10 mg/L, but may be different for state or local regulations. If your water source is a private well, the only way to find out is to test the water. There are many inexpensive nitrate test kits or test strips which will allow you to test the water yourself, otherwise many laboratories and universities will allow you to send in a sample to have tested for a price. What do I do if my drinking water source has high nitrates? If you are notified by your public water provider, follow their recommendations or that of your local health department. This will usually depend on the extent and concentration of the contamination. If you find that your private water source has high nitrates, you should notify your local department of environmental health or department of natural resources. They can aid in finding the source and helping you fix the problem. If possible, while levels are high, get your drinking water from a different source or use proper filtering methods to remove the nitrates until the environmental contamination is fixed. Ion exchange, reverse osmosis and electrodialysis are the proven methods for removing nitrates. Do not boil water with high nitrates. This will make it more concentrated by boiling some of the water off, leaving the nitrates in the remaining water. Sources: Basic Information about Nitrate in Drinking Water from the EPA Nitrate Information from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Nitrate in Drinking Water and Human Health from the University of Iowa Drinking Water Nitrate and Health—Recent Findings and Research Needs from the USGS

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