Huntington Beach, CA, December 9th, 2020
According to a report published several years ago by a university in California, nitrate is one of the state’s most widespread groundwater contaminants.
The report, which was prepared for the California State Water Resources Control Board, goes on to state that drinking too much nitrate can cause harm to health. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) maximum contaminant level (MCL) for nitrate set to protect against blue-baby syndrome is 10 mg/L. Blue-baby syndrome, also known as methemoglobinemia, can be caused when infants consume too much nitrate, reducing the ability of their red blood cells to carry oxygen.
In California, nitrate is principally a by-product of nitrogen use in fertilizer for agricultural purposes. Its presence in groundwater can also come from septic systems, confined animal feeding operations and from treated wastewater according to the California Water Boards.
“Public water systems in California are regulated and required to analyze for nitrates,” said Joseph Frasca, Senior Vice President of Marketing at LA Testing. “For those that get their water from private self-supplied wells, there is no testing requirement. It’s the owner’s responsibility to test and treat their well water for nitrate and other pollutants. This means there are many people, especially in rural and agricultural parts of the state that could be drinking water with high nitrate levels.”
With multiple California laboratories, LA Testing provides water testing for nitrate and nitrite levels. They even offer a Drinking Water Test Kit that monitors for these contaminants as well as lead, total coliform, E. coli, turbidity, iron, manganese and pH.
To learn more about water testing or other environmental, health and safety testing services, please visit www.LATesting.com, email info@LATesting.com or call (800) 755-1794. For access to test kits, visit www.EMSLTestKits.com.
About LA Testing
LA Testing is California’s leading laboratory for indoor air quality testing of asbestos, mold, lead, VOCs, formaldehyde, soot, char, ash and smoke damage, particulates and other chemicals. In addition, LA Testing offers a full range of air sampling and investigative equipment to professionals and the general public. LA Testing maintains an extensive list of accreditations including: : AIHA-LAP, LLC (AIHA-LAP, LLC EMLAP, AIHA-LAP, LLC IHLAP, AIHA-LAP, LLC ELLAP), CDC ELITE, NVLAP, State of California, State of Hawaii Department of Health and other states. LA Testing, along with the EMSL Analytical, Inc. network, has multiple laboratories throughout California including South Pasadena, Huntington Beach, San Leandro, San Diego and Ontario.