Presence of Nitrate and Nitrite in Well Water in Mureș County

Objective: One of the most important sources of nitrite and nitrate anions, besides vegetables and meat products, is the drinking water. Presence of nitrite and nitrate in the water in higher concentrations than those set by EFSA (0.5 mg/l nitrite, 50 mg/l nitrate), may have toxicological significance. A quantitative determination of these ions in samples collected from several pleases from Mureș County was made.
Methods: Ninety-seven well water samples were tested from 12 different places from Mureș County. We used a simple HPLC-UV ion pair method for the determination of nitrite and nitrate concentrations. Sensitivity of the method enables the quantification for concentrations far below the MCL value.
Results: The highest amounts of nitrate and nitrite were measured in Sângeorgiu de Mureș and Cristeșt. Concentrations of nitrite and nitrate were exceeded in 4.12% and respectively 44.32% of the samples.
Conclusions: The high amounts of nitrites and nitrates existing in well water go beyond the expected extent. This pollution can become a health risk since this water is used in human nutrition especially in child nourishment.