There can be a lot of impurities in water. One of them is nitrates and they’re not good at all to be in the water or for consumption. You must remove them from your water to keep yourself and your family safe. Usually, nitrates are in well water so you should consider installing a well water filtration system for removing them.

Nitrates In Drinking Water

Nitrates are found in fertilizers and different chemicals used in the soil. Since most of the water used by the population comes from underground, there can be more nitrates in the water since the soil can cause the absorption of nitrates into the water aquifers that are embedded in the ground.

This is why nitrates are found in abundance in places where there is a lot of crops growing and fertilizers used in the ground. There is a huge risk of nitrate contamination in the water and it can be really hard to detect since nitrates have no color or odor and can cause damage to the body without you knowing it.

Nitrates are extremely dangerous for the human body, especially pregnant women and infants, so you need to ensure that your water is safe from nitrates because it can cause a plethora of issues and you don’t want to be on the receiving end of it all.

What Are The Dangers Of Nitrates In Drinking Water?

Here are some very common side effects of nitrates in water and when you consume them.

It Can Cause Methemoglobinemia

Nitrates are naturally present in water but in trace quantities. If the concentration exceeds 50 mg/liter, then nitrates can cause a disease, known as methemoglobinemia in infants. This is also known as blue baby syndrome and it is just what it sounds like.

It is a disorder in which the color of the baby’s skin can turn blue because nitrate is synthesized into nitrite in the gut of a child and this causes the skin color to change because there is a lack of oxygen transfer in the blood. This can cause difficulty in breathing and it’s really dangerous for children if it goes unnoticed.

Shortness Of Breath

One of the most common causes of nitrates in water is the lack of oxygen transfer. This can occur in children as well as in adults and this can lead to immense shortness of breath.

This is bad, especially for pregnant women, who are already facing a lot of problems due to hormonal imbalance and if they can’t get enough oxygen in their bodies, then it can lead to detrimental effects on the mother as well as the child. Therefore, nitrate-infested water should be avoided at all costs.

Stomach Issues

Nitrates, since they can turn into nitrite in the stomach, can lead to a lot of gut issues as well. It can lead to ulcers, stomach aches, and really bad gut infections that can become chronic and lifelong if you don’t get to the bottom of the issue in time.

Gut issues can be really hard to deal with because you’re in constant pain, you lose your appetite and you are at risk of dehydration, because of vomiting and diarrhea, so sometimes, a stomach ache can turn into a full-blown medical emergency.

How To Remove Nitrates From Water?

Now that you know what nitrates can do to your body, it’s best that you know the ways to remove them from your drinking water for good. Here are some ways by which you can do just that.

By Reverse Osmosis

The first process that is highly effective in removing nitrates from water is reverse osmosis. Reverse osmosis is essentially a type of process that sieves the water through a special membrane that only lets water out the other side and leaves all impurities behind.

This membrane is known as a semipermeable membrane and it has small pores that allow the water to pass through but leave microscopic impurities behind, giving you water that is safe for drinking and use around the house, at any time. You can install a reverse osmosis system MD in your house for removing nitrates and other impurities.

By Ion Exchange Process

Another effective process that is used to remove nitrates from water is through the ion exchange process. This is the same process that is employed in a water softener, in which the hardness-causing ions are replaced by neutral ions.

Well, the same is applied to nitrates, which are replaced by neutral ions of the same composition so that the water isn’t altered by any means. The assembly is similar to a water softener, but it is used for nitrates, and it’s a great addition to the house if you know that there is a lot of concentration of nitrates in your water.

By Distillation

Distillation is a process that removes almost 100% of any impurities present in the water. In this process, the water is boiled to condensation and then the condensate is liquefied and that’s pretty much the water that is pure, free from nitrates and other impurities, and ready for drinking. There is a lot of distillation equipment available for getting rid of nitrates, so you can use them.

How To Prevent Nitrates In Water

Now that you know the ways by which nitrates can be removed, you can go the extra step and prevent these ions from infesting your water. Here is how you can do just that:

Construction Of The Water Well

Water from wells usually has a lot of nitrates in it, so one way by which you can prevent nitrates from infesting your water and causing problems in the body is to ensure that you’re constructing a well at a safe location.

A place where there is no animal grazing, no fertilizer use, and no contaminants is perfect because the aquifers in these areas are not poisoned by nitrates and you will get safe and pure water for use.

Seal The Well

When digging up a well or bore, you want to ensure that you’re sealing the sides of the well. This is not only good for the integrity of the well, but it can also ensure that any nitrates present in the soil won’t penetrate the well bore and infest the water.

This is something that a lot of people can forget, but if you go through this extra step, then it will be amazing because you won’t have to spend time and money on installing equipment to get rid of the nitrates if you’re already dealing with it from the get-go.

Protect The Well From Damage

You want to protect the bore from damage. A water well usually doesn’t get damaged a lot but over time there can be cracks and foundation damage and it can cause the soil to come in contact with the water and cause nitrate infestation.

This is why you need to protect and look after your well because that’s going to save you from a lot of problems regarding infestation of nitrates in the future.

Conclusion

Nitrates are barely noticeable in water and you need to figure out how you can remove them because they are harmful if consumed. Get help from an expert to have your water well checked and to install the right whole house water filtration system VA.