More than 80 organisations ask WHO to review nitrate drinking-water limit
More than 80 international organisations have signed an open letter asking the World Health Organization (WHO) to review its limit for nitrate in drinking water. The New Zealand Climate and Health Council OraTaiao and Greenpeace Aotearoa are among the signatories, according to RNZ.
New Zealand's maximum acceptable value for nitrate-nitrogen, the highest level allowed in drinking water, is 11.3 milligrams per litre. That matches the WHO guideline.
The letter says the WHO's nitrate benchmark has not been updated since the 1950s. It argues the benchmark does not reflect evidence linking long-term, low-level nitrate exposure to bowel cancer and to babies being born early.
The signatories want nitrate fully assessed as a chemical contaminant in the WHO's drinking-water quality guidelines. They also want the population health evidence reviewed.
Amanda Larsson, Greenpeace's global agriculture project lead, said most governments base their water rules on WHO guidelines.
Greenpeace Aotearoa has also called on the New Zealand Government to lower the legal limit for nitrate in drinking water. The European Union's limit is 50 milligrams per litre. Greenpeace has said Denmark plans to lower its own limit to 6 milligrams per litre, measured as NO3.
OraTaiao raised concerns about rising nitrate levels in drinking water in a 2021 statement, and called for freshwater nitrate levels to be kept below 1 milligram per litre.
