A review of nitrates in drinking water: Maternal exposure and adverse reproductive and developmental outcomes

Environmental Health Perspectives

Volumn 114, Issue 3, 2006, Pages 320-327

  Manassaram, Deana M ^a   Backer, Lorraine C ^a   Moll, Deborah M ^a  

^a CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION   (United States)

Author keywords

Developmental outcomes; Drinking water; Groundwater; Maternal exposure; Nitrate; Nitrite; Private wells; Reproductive health

Indexed keywords

AMYL NITRITE; CHLORINE; DRINKING WATER; GROUND WATER; METAL; NITRIC ACID DERIVATIVE; PESTICIDE; SODIUM NITRITE; SURFACE WATER; WELL WATER;

ANENCEPHALUS; BIRTH DEFECT; CONFIDENCE INTERVAL; CONGENITAL HEART MALFORMATION; CORRELATION ANALYSIS; EMBRYOTOXICITY; ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE; ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT; FETUS GROWTH; FETUS MORTALITY; FIRST TRIMESTER PREGNANCY; GOVERNMENT REGULATION; HEALTH HAZARD; HIGH RISK POPULATION; HUMAN; IN VITRO STUDY; IN VIVO STUDY; INCIDENCE; INFERTILITY; INTERMETHOD COMPARISON; INTRAUTERINE GROWTH RETARDATION; MEDLINE; METHEMOGLOBINEMIA; NEURAL TUBE DEFECT; NONHUMAN; PATHOPHYSIOLOGY; PREGNANCY COMPLICATION; PREMATURITY; PRENATAL EXPOSURE; PRIORITY JOURNAL; REPRODUCTIVE TOXICITY; RETROSPECTIVE STUDY; REVIEW; RISK ASSESSMENT; RISK FACTOR; SAFETY; SPINA BIFIDA; SPONTANEOUS ABORTION; SYSTEMATIC REVIEW; TERATOGENICITY; UNITED STATES; WASTE WATER MANAGEMENT; WATER ANALYSIS; WATER CONTAMINATION; WATER QUALITY; WATER SUPPLY;

ABNORMALITIES; ABORTION, SPONTANEOUS; ANIMALS; ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE; FEMALE; HUMANS; MATERNAL EXPOSURE; MATERNAL-FETAL EXCHANGE; NITRATES; PREGNANCY; REPRODUCTION; WATER POLLUTANTS, CHEMICAL; WATER SUPPLY;

ANIMALIA;

EID: 33644777735     PISSN: 00916765     EISSN: 15529924     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1289/ehp.8407     Document Type: Review

References (69)

1. Arbuckle TE, Hewitt D, Sherman GJ. 1986. Re: "Congenital malformations and maternal drinking water supply in rural South Australia: a case-control study" [Letter]. Am J Epidemiol 124:344.
2. Arbuckle TE, Sherman GJ, Corey PN, Walters D, Lo B. 1988. Water nitrates and CNS birth defects: a population-based case-control study. Arch Environ Health 43:162-167.
3. Aschengrau A, Zierler S, Cohen A. 1989. Quality of community drinking water and the occurrence of spontaneous abortion. Arch Environ Health 44:283-290.
4. ATSDR. 2001. Case Studies in Environmental Medicine: Nitrate/Nitrite Toxicity. Atlanta, GA:Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
5. Avery AA. 1999. Infantile methemoglobinemia: reexamining the role of drinking water nitrates. Environ Health Perspect 107:583-586.
6. Bove F, Shim Y, Zeitz P. 2002. Drinking water contaminants and adverse pregnancy outcomes: a review. Environ Health Perspect 110(suppl 1):61-74.
7. Bove FJ, Fulcomer MC, Klotz JB. 1992. Public Drinking Water Contamination and Birth Weight, Fetal Deaths, and Birth Defects. A Crosssectional Study. Report on Phase IV-A. Trenton, NJ:New Jersey Department of Health.
8. Brender JD, Olive JM, Felkner M, Suarez L, Marckwardt W, Hendricks KA. 2004. Dietary nitrites and nitrates, nitrosatable drugs, and neural tube defects. Epidemiology 15:330-336.
9. Bruning-Fann CS, Kaneene JB. 1993. The effects of nitrate, nitrite and N-nitroso compounds on human health: a review. Vet Hum Toxicol 35:521-538.
10. Bukowski J, Somers G, Bryanton J. 2001. Agricultural contamination of groundwater as a possible risk factor for growth restriction or prematurity. J Occup Environ Med 43:377-383.
11. Case AA. 1957. Abortion in swine due to excessive nitrate. J Am Vet Med Assoc 131:226.
12. CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). 1996. Spontaneous abortions possibly related to ingestion of nitrate-contaminated well water - LaGrange County, Indiana, 1991-1994. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 45:569-572.
13. CDC. 1998. A Survey of the Quality of Water Drawn from Domestic Wells in Nine Midwest States: 1998. National Center for Environmental Health. NCEH 97-0265. Atlanta, GA:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
14. Cedergren MI, Selbing AJ, Lofman O, Kallen BA. 2002. Chlorination byproducts and nitrate in drinking water and risk for congenital cardiac defects. Environ Res 89:124-130.
15. Comly HH. 1987. Landmark article Sept 8, 1945: cyanosis in infants caused by nitrates in well-water. JAMA 257:2788-2792.
16. Croen LA, Todoroff K, Shaw GM. 2001. Maternal exposure to nitrate from drinking water and diet and risk for neural tube defects. Am J Epidemiol 153:325-331.
17. Dorsch MM, Scragg RK, McMichael AJ, Baghurst PA, Dyer KF. 1984. Congenital malformations and maternal drinking water supply in rural South Australia: a case-control study. Am J Epidemiol 119:473-486.
18. Fan AM, Steinberg VE. 1996. Health implications of nitrate and nitrite in drinking water: an update on methemoglobinemia occurrence and reproductive and developmental toxicity. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 23:35-43.
19. Fan AM, Willhite CC, Book SA. 1987. Evaluation of the nitrate drinking water standard with reference to infant methemoglobinemia and potential reproductive toxicity. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 7:135-148.
20. FDA. 1972a. Teratologic Evaluation of FDA 71-7 (Sodium Nitrate). DC NTISPB-221 775. Washington, DC:Food and Drug Administration.
21. FDA. 1972b. Teratologic Evaluation of FDA 71-8 (Potassium Nitrate). DC NTISPB-221 774. Washington, DC:Food and Drug Administration.
22. Felsot AS. 1998. Re-examining the link between nitrates and "blue baby" syndrome: a necessary first step for managing ground water quality to protect public health. Agric Environ News 150:1-14.
23. Gelperin A, Moses VK, Bridger C. 1975. Relationship of high nitrate community water supply to infant and fetal mortality. Ill Med J 147:155-157, 186.
24. Globus M, Samuel D. 1978. Effect of maternally administered sodium nitrite on hepatic erythropoiesis in fetal CD-1 mice. Teratology 18:367-378.
25. Gruener N, Shuval HI, Behroozi K, Cohen S, Shechter H. 1973. Methemoglobinemia induced by transplacental passage of nitrites in rats. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 9:44-48.
26. Hanukoglu A, Danon PN. 1996. Endogenous methemoglobinemia associated with diarrheal disease in infancy. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 23:1-7.
27. Hartman PE. 1982. Nitrates and Nitrites: Ingestion, pharmacodynamics, and toxicology. In: Chemical Mutagens: Principles and Methods for Their Detection (de Serres FJ, Hollaender A, eds). New York:Plenum Press, 211-294.
28. Hegesh E, Shiloah J. 1982. Blood nitrates and infantile methemoglobinemia. Clin Chim Acta 125:107-115.
29. Inui N, Nishi Y, Taketomi M, Mori M. 1979. Transplacental action of sodium nitrite on embryonic cells of Syrian golden hamster. Mutat Res 66:149-158.
30. L'hirondel J, L'hirondel JL. 2002. Nitrate and Man: Toxic, Harmless or Beneficial? New York:CABI Publishing.
31. Jaffe ER. 1981. Methemoglobin pathophysiology. In: The Function of Red Blood Cells: Erythrocyte Pathobiology. Proceedings of an International Symposium on Erythrocyte Pathobiology. New York:Alan R. Liss, 133-151.
32. Johnson CJ, Kross BC. 1990. Continuing importance of nitrate contamination of groundwater and wells in rural areas. Am J Ind Med 18:449-456.
33. Knobeloch L, Salna B, Hogan A, Postle J, Anderson H. 2000. Blue babies and nitrate-contaminated well water. Environ Health Perspect 108:675-678.
34. Laven RA, Biggadike HJ, Allison RD. 2002. The effect of pasture nitrate concentration and concentrate intake after turnout on embryo growth and viability in the lactating dairy cow. Reprod Domest Anim 37:111-115.
35. NAS. 1977. Drinking Water and Health: Inorganic Solutes. Washington, DC:National Academy of Sciences, 411-439.
36. NAS. 1981. The Health Effects of Nitrates, Nitrites, and N-Nitroso Compounds. Washington, DC:National Academy of Sciences.
37. Page RD, Gilson WD, Guthrie LD, Mertens DR, Hatch RC. 1990. Serum progesterone and milk production and composition in dairy cows fed two concentrations of nitrate. Vet Hum Toxicol 32:27-31.
38. PubMed. 2005. Homepage. Bethesda, MD:National Library of Medicine. Available: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi [accessed 17 February 2005].
39. RAIS. 1995. Toxicity Summary for Nitrates. Oak Ridge, TN:Risk Assessment Information System. Available: http://risk.lsd.ornl.gov/tox/profiles/nitrates_f_V1.shtml#te [accessed 17 February 2005].
40. Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974. 1974. Public Law 42 U.S.C. s/s 300f. Available: http://www.epa.gov/region5/defs/html/sdwa.htm [accessed 5 January 2005].
41. Schmitz JT. 1961. Methemoglobinemia - a cause of abortions? Preliminary report. Obstet Gynecol 17:413-415.
42. Scragg RK, Dorsch MM, McMichael AJ, Baghurst PA. 1982. Birth defects and household water supply. Epidemiological studies in the Mount Gambier region of South Australia. Med J Aust 2:577-579.
43. Simon J, Sund JM, Douglas FD, Wright MJ, Kowaczyk T. 1959. The effect of nitrate or nitrite when placed in the rumens of pregnant dairy cattle. J Am Vet Med Assoc 135:311-314.
44. Sinha DP, Sleight SD. 1971. Pathogenesis of abortion in acute nitrite toxicosis in guinea pigs. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 18:340-347.
45. Skrivan J. 1971. Methemoglobinemia in pregnancy (clinical and experimental study). Acta Univ Carol [Med] (Praha) 17:123-161.
46. Sleight SD, Atallah OA. 1968. Reproduction in the guinea pig as affected by chronic administration of potassium nitrate and potassium nitrite. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 12:179-185.
47. Spalding R, Exner M. 1993. Occurrence of nitrate in groundwater. J Environ Qual 22:392-402.
48. Squillace PJ, Scott JC, Moran MJ, Nolan BT, Kolpin DW. 2002. VOCs, pesticides, nitrate, and their mixtures in groundwater used for drinking water in the United States. Environ Sci Technol 36:1923-1930.
49. Sund JM. 1957. Weeds containing nitrates cause abortion in cattle. Agron J 49:278-279.
50. Super M, Heese H, MacKenzie D, Dempster W. 1981. An epidemiological study of well water nitrates in a group of south west African/Namibian infants. Water Res 15:1265-1270.
51. Swann PF. 1975. The toxicology of nitrate, nitrite and N-nitroso compounds. J Sci Fd Agric 26:1761-1770.
52. Tabacova S, Baird DD, Balabaeva L. 1998. Exposure to oxidized nitrogen: lipid peroxidation and neonatal health risk. Arch Environ Health 53:214-221.
53. Tabacova S, Balabaeva L. 1993. Environmental pollutants in relation to complications of pregnancy. Environ Health Perspect 101(suppl 2):27-31.
54. Tabacova S, Balabaeva L, Little RE. 1997. Maternal exposure to exogenous nitrogen compounds and complications of pregnancy. Arch Environ Health 52:341-347.
55. Tarburton JP, Metcalf WK. 1985. Kinetics of amyl nitrite-induced hemoglobin oxidation in cord and adult blood. Toxicology 36:15-21.
56. U.S. EPA. 1990. Estimated National Occurrence and Exposure to Nitrate/Nitrite in Public Drinking Water Supplies. Washington, DC:U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2-32.
57. U.S. EPA. 1992. National Pesticide Survey Update and Summary of Phase II Results. 570991021. Washington, DC:Office of Water, Office of Pesticides and Toxic Substances, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
58. U.S. EPA. 2002a. Drinking Water from Household Wells. EPA 816-K-02-003. Washington, DC:U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
59. U.S. EPA. 2002b. 2002 Edition of the Drinking Water Standards and Health Advisories. EPA-822-R-02-038. Washington, DC:U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
60. U.S. EPA. 2003. Factoids: Drinking Water and Ground Water Statistics for 2002. EPA 816-K-03-001. Washington, DC:U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1-10.
61. USGS. 1995. Nutrients in Ground Water and Surface Water of the United States∠ Analysis of Data through 1992. Report 95-4031. Denver, CO:U.S. Geological Survey.
62. USGS. 1996a. Nitrate in Ground Waters of the US - Assessing the Risk. FS-092-96. Reston, VA:U.S. Geological Survey.
63. USGS. 1996b. Nutrients in the Nation's Waters: Identifying Problems and Progress. FS-218-96. Reston, VA:National Water Quality Assessment Program, U.S. Geological Survey.
64. USGS. 1996c. Nutrients in the Nation's Waters: Too Much of a Good Thing? USGS Cir 1136. Denver, CO:U.S. Geological Survey.
65. USGS. 1999. The Quality of Our Nation's Waters: Nutrients and Pesticides. Circular 1225. Reston, VA:U.S. Geological Survey.
66. Walker R. 1996. The metabolism of dietary nitrites and nitrates. Biochem Soc Trans 24:780-785.
67. Walton G. 1951. Survey of literature relating to infant methemoglobinemia due to nitrate-contaminated water. Am J Public Health 41:986-996.
68. Winter AJ, Hokanson JF. 1964. Effects of long-term feeding of nitrate, nitrite, or hydroxylamine on pregnant dairy heifers. Am J Vet Res 25:353-361.
69. Wogan GN, Generoso W, Koller LD, Smith RP. 1995. Nitrate and Nitrite in Drinking Water. Washington, DC:National Academic Press.