Nitrate in Water - Laboratory Test

How can I have your partner laboratory test my water for nitrate?

In addition to the basic package, which lets you order a water analysis from our laboratory and covers shipping both ways..., you can order optional specialized analyses.

This nitrate analysis measures the amount of nitrate in your water in mg/L.

To have your water analyzed:

1. Order the basic kit

2. Order this specific nitrate analysis

3. Receive the kit at home

4. Send it back to the testing laboratory using the return label provided

5. The laboratory performs the analysis you ordered

5. We supplement the laboratory results with our technical recommendations

Please note, nitrate analysis is a standard analysis and is already included in chemistry packages 1, 2, 3 and 4.

The WHO's perspective on nitrate in water

Sources of nitrate in water

Nitrate (NO3-) occurs naturally in the environment, with groundwater concentrations of 5 to 15 mg/l in water not contaminated by fertilization. The main source of nitrate in soil is nitrogen fertilizers, as well as discharges from industry or local municipalities.

Standards for nitrate in water

The maximum nitrate content of water intended for human consumption is set at 50 mg/L by decree (decree 2001-1220 of December 20, 2001). And at 10 ml/L in Quebec ! We'll let you judge the difference… This standard takes into account the most vulnerable populations, infants and pregnant women, for whom some doctors recommend a limit of 15 mg/L.

Water with a nitrate content above 50 mg per liter is considered unsuitable for drinking.

However, if the concentration is between 50 mg/L and 100 mg/L, the water is considered temporarily acceptable, except for at-risk populations.

If the nitrate concentration exceeds 100 mg/L, you must neither drink the water nor use it for cooking.

The WHO has established an acceptable daily intake (ADI) for nitrates in food of 0.84 mg-N/kg/day (3.7 mg of NO3/kg/day).

Effects of nitrate on the body

Nitrates are very harmful to infants because they are converted into nitrites, which can oxidize hemoglobin and cause poor blood oxygenation, known as “blue baby syndrome”. The main risk for adults is that nitrates, and therefore nitrites, can cause cancer as well as reproductive disorders.

Note that boiling water does not remove nitrates, as they do not evaporate. It could even increase their concentration in the water.