What are the health effects of drinking water that contains nitrates and nitrites?
There are two health concerns when drinking water with high levels of nitrates or nitrites. The first health concern is with infants being at risk for “blue baby syndrome”, also called methemoglobinemia: • Poisoning can occur when infants drink formula made with nitrate or nitrite- contaminated tap water. • The infant’s blood is less able to carry oxygen due to the poisoning. • Affected infants develop a blue-grey color and need emergency medical help immediately. • Infants under six months of age are more suseptible. The second health concern with nitrates and nitrites is the formation of chemicals called nitrosamines in the digestive tract. Nitrosamines are being studied for long term links to cancer. No standards have been set for this yet.
