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1 in 5 Americans may have a dangerous toxin in their tap water: Study
The report links nitrate exposure to cancer, thyroid disease and birth defects, and says 3,200 systems tested at or above 5 milligrams per liter.
- On Thursday, the Environmental Working Group released a report finding over 62 million Americans served by water systems with nitrate levels at or above 3 milligrams per liter, based on 2021–2023 data across all 50 states.
- Nitrates, nitrogen-rich agricultural compounds, leach into groundwater via rainfall and pose health risks linked to cancers and birth defects, yet federal safety guidelines set in 1962 at 10 milligrams per liter remain unchanged despite studies showing harms at lower concentrations.
- Hotspots include a system near Dinuba, California, testing at 50 milligrams per liter—the nation's highest—while major cities including Phoenix, Philadelphia, and Las Vegas recorded levels at or above 3 milligrams per liter, indicating widespread contamination.
- Utilities face costly mitigation: Des Moines' ion-exchange plant costs more than $10,000 daily to operate. Experts advise consumers to install reverse-osmosis filters on kitchen taps, which capture up to 99% of contaminants, until federal regulations tighten.
- The Fertilizer Institute contends that attributing elevated nitrates primarily to fertilizer oversimplifies a complex issue, citing septic systems, stormwater, and atmospheric nitrogen deposition as additional sources of contamination.
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26 Articles
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Total News Sources26
Leaning Left3Leaning Right0Center23Last UpdatedBias Distribution88% Center
Bias Distribution
- 88% of the sources are Center
88% Center
12%
C 88%
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