How does nitrate affect health?
Nitrate is an acute contaminant, which means a single exposure can affect a person’s health. It reduces the ability of red blood cells to carry oxygen. In most adults and children these red blood cells rapidly return to normal. However, in infants it can take much longer for the blood cells to return to normal. Infants who drink water with high levels of nitrate (or eat foods made with nitrate-contaminated water) may develop a serious health condition due to the lack of oxygen. This condition is called methemoglobinemia or “blue baby syndrome.” Some scientists think diarrhea can make this problem even worse. Low levels of nitrate in water will not have a long-lasting effect on your baby. If your baby does not have any of the symptoms of “blue baby syndrome,” you do not need to have a doctor test for methemoglobinemia.
