Information about nitrates Nitrates analysis in water Information about nitrates Nitrates analysis in water

Information about nitrates

Nitrates analysis

Download: NITRATES CONTROL.pdf

Advice in order to reduce the nitrates effects

  1. Consume fresh green vegetables.
  2. Take out the external leaves.
  3. Wash vegetables and fruits (nitrates are soluble).
  4. Boil the vegetables; for the spinach 75% of the nitrates are reduced. Do not use the cooking water.
  5. Do not reheat the vegetables.
  6. Add some food with vitamin C: Critics tomatoes, kiwis, etc.
  7. Reduce the ingestion of salted or smoked fish, cured and packed cheese.
  8. Avoid brown beer as Malt beer
  9. Avoid tobacco.
  10. Avoid mixing water with nitrates with another one with less nitrates.

What could we do for not contaminating so much the aquifers?

  1. The over exploitation of the aquifers means also an increase of nitrates concentration.

    In order to avoid it, we must create a water saving plan at home as having a tank for rainwater, autochthonous culture gardening, water saving for the taps and W.C tanks .If you have a garden, watering during the night is requested.

  2. Reasonable use of fertilizer and water for agriculture. It is convenient to use organic fertilizers (trash, compost...)
  3. If you have a septic tank at home, connect to the sewage, if there is one. Otherwise waterproofing will be necessary.
  4. Waterproofing of any space where there are animals and could have some waste.

    Avoid the accumulation of waste in any place.

What are the nitrates?

Natural origin, they are Nitrogen chemical salt, which in low concentrations, is in the water and the ground. Humans also make them artificially in order to produce fertilizers for agriculture and different industrial substances.

Which is the cause of nitrates presented in the water we are drinking?

The origins of the nitrates in the underground waters come from the fertilizers, septic systems and accumulation of wastes. When it is too much fertilized, plants do not take benefit of the Nitrogen, and the excess filters through the subsoil where it is sucked to the aquifers as Nitrates. In that way, one of the factors responsible for the contamination of the underground waters by the nitrates seems to be the bad used farm. The excess of water also helps this process. Chemical fertilizers are more dangerous than organic ones.

How are we exposed to the Nitrates?

They are mainly presented in food products as green vegetables, fruits, sausages, bread and milk products. So, every day, we absorb Nitrates in our food, and normally much more than in drinkable water.

Which groups of the population are more affected by the ad verses effects of the Nitrates consumed through the drinkable water?

The groups of people that present more risks are:

  • The infants who are exclusively fed by artificial milk.
  • People with hereditary haemoglobin deficit reductive or of NADH.
  • People with anomalous haemoglobin.
  • Pregnant women.
  • People with natural hypochlorhdria gastric or produced by antacid treatment (peptic ulcer, chronic gastritis).

Which is the safe level nitrate in the drinkable water?

In 2004, the World Health Organization proved a maximum value of 50 mg / l nitrates in the drinkable water.

Could we cook food at home with water with nitrates?

You can cook any food at home without any risk; it is true that in cooking liquid, the concentration of nitrate increases. So it is convenient to do it in water with less concentration and you can obtain it mixing tap water with bottled water.

Could we wash food (green vegetables, fruits, etc.) with water with nitrates?

Everybody can wash food with tap water, because the quantity of nitrates in the water is minimum.

Could I have a shower with this water?

Water, which has a high level of nitrates, can be used to have a shower, washing the clothes or the dishes, without any risk to our health

Could we remove the nitrates at home?

There are different treatment systems to remove the nitrates, for example the domestic osmosis and denitrifying filters. All the systems consume energy and generate wastewater.

How could we know if the tap water overcomes the parametric value allowed for nitrates?

The drinking water supply is a Municipal jurisdiction. Sant Lluis Town hall renders service through the company Aigües Sant Lluís. In any case the Town halls have to guarantee that the drinking water must be suitable for consumption. The “Regional Ministry of Health and Consumer” supervises these guarantees.

The companies which manage the drinking water supply are obliged to make some quality controls of the water they distribute. The results must be sent to the ministry of Health and Consumer, and then they are included in the SINAC (Sistema de Información Nacional de Aguas de Consumo), where the people can consult the date and the place where the sample has been taken and if the result is suitable or not for human consumption (http://sinac.msc.es/).

Both the Town Hall and Aigües Sant Lluís have put on their web sites, the results of the analysis and will be updated.
You can find more information at the following internet addresses:
Regional Ministry of Health and Consumer http://portalsalut.caib.es/
NATIONAL DRINKING WATER INFORMATION SYSTEM (CITIZEN ACCESS) https://sinac.sanidad.gob.es/SinacV2/index.html