Pregnant Women, Infants Must Avoid Nitrate-Polluted Tap Water

You don’t have nitrates in your water? Think again—You might well have them. During certain times of the year, like in the warmer months, have increased levels of nitrates in the water. Nitrates are highest in ground water which provides drinking water for more than half of the Nation’s population. Groundwater is also the sole source of drinking water for many rural communities and some large cities and accounts for 96% of self-supplied systems (which includes well-water.) Many cities are on well water that is pumped into big cisterns. Different cisterns are used at different times of the year to supply the cities with water.
Health affects of Nitrates: Nitrates affect the red blood cells by disrupting oxygen availability which leads to blue baby syndrome, reduced vitality, increased stillbirths, spontaneous abortion, low birth weights and slow weight gain in livestock. The scientific name for this is methemoglobinemia. Boiling water will not reduce nitrate levels.
What is nitrate and where does it come from? Nitrate is the oxidized form of nitrogen. Nitrogen is found naturally everywhere. We get nitrates through applying manure or fecal material (from poorly or untreated sewer treatment), NPK or ammonium nitrate fertilizers to fields. Nonagricultural sources of nitrate come from lawn fertilizers, leaching septic systems, and domestic animals in residential areas. Also producing large amounts of nitrates are paper mills and munitions plants.
Nitrates can persist in ground water for decades and accumulate to high levels as more nitrogen is applied each year. Applications of nitrates to enhance our food supply started as early as the 1950’s, so our soils have been building up excess nitrates for quite some time. When plants have absorbed all they need for their growth, the excess contained in the solid runs off into surface waters, streams and rivers eventually entering our water system.
The USGS (United States Geological Survey) released a report in 1996 revealing that nitrate concentrations in the nation’s groundwater supply are increasing steadily. In this report it stated that 9% of our wells tested had nitrate concentrations exceeding the EPA maximum contaminant level (MCL) for nitrate which is 10 mg. /liter.
But I use a water filter, you say. What kind of a water filter? Most countertop water filters do not remove nitrates. Nitrates are one substance that needs to be filtered out with a good whole-house water system or reverse osmosis system (which does not include table-top water filters that only remove chlorine and odors.)
We now have the ability to test for nitrates, iron, chlorine, hardness, pH and dissolved solids using at-home test kits. In our area EcoWater Systems offers a free evaluation. You may have a water filter company in your area that does the same. So, be safe. . .have your water checked today.
References: http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/wcp/

Dr. Denice Moffat is a practicing naturopath, medical intuitive, and veterinarian working on the family unit (which includes humans and animals) through her phone consultation practice established in 1995. She has a content-rich website at http://www.NaturalHealthTechniques.com and free internationally distributed monthly newsletter. For more information on all aspects of water, check out Dr. Moffat’s article under the Basics of Health on her website at: http://www.naturalhealthtechniques.com/BasicsofHealth/basicsofhealth1.htm