[Nitrate concentrations in tap water in Spain]

Abstract

Objective: To determine nitrate concentrations in drinking water in a sample of Spanish cities.

Material and methods: We used ion chromatography to analyze the nitrate concentrations of public drinking water in 108 Spanish municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants (supplying 21,290,707 potential individuals). The samples were collected between January and April 2012. The total number of samples tested was 324.

Results: The median nitrate concentration was 3.47 mg/L (range: 0.38-66.76; interquartile range: 4.51). The water from 94% of the municipalities contained less than 15 mg/L. The concentration was higher than 25mg/L in only 3 municipalities and was greater than 50mg/L in one.

Conclusions: Nitrate levels in most public drinking water supplies in municipalities inhabited by almost half of the Spanish population are below 15 mg/L.

Keywords: Agua de bebida; Cancer; Cáncer; Drinking water; Metahemoglobinemia; Methemoglobinemia; Nitrates; Nitratos; Prevención primaria; Primary prevention.