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(Omaha, NE) -- Nebraska regulates drinking water quality and monitors for contaminants such as nitrates. The federal standard for nitrates is ten parts per million, but new research suggests even lower levels might not be safe.
“One of my studies out of Iowa, research out of California, and research out of Europe show that exposure to drinking water with levels below that safe threshold is associated with increased risk of preterm birth and lower birth weight,” said Jason Semprini, a researcher at the Des Moines University Medical School Department of Public Health.
He says even five parts per million may have health impacts.
Another researcher, Dr. David Cwiertny, a biochemical engineer at the University of Iowa, says high nitrate levels can be deadly for a baby.
“If an infant is drinking formula prepared with high-nitrate water, they can suffer oxygen deprivation and turn blue from the lack of oxygen,” he said.
The Centers for Disease Control says nitrates could also be linked to gastrointestinal and thyroid cancers in adults.