Q. What are the symptoms of methemoglobinemia?
A. Methemoglobinemia is a blood disorder caused by having too much nitrate in your body.  This blood disorder has very visible signs and mainly affects infants.  In babies less than 6 months of age, high levels of nitrate in the body will prevent the blood from delivering oxygen effectively to different parts of the body.  As a result, the infant may have blueness around the mouth, hands, and feet (hence the name "blue baby syndrome").  This blue color does not necessarily mean that the infant is having breathing problems.  However, without treatment and the removal of nitrate from drinking water, the condition could worsen and affect the baby's breathing.  Other signs of blue baby syndrome include vomiting and diarrhea. Pregnant women also do not tolerate nitrates very well.  In women who are nursing their babies, nitrate can pass through the mother’s milk to her baby and affect the baby indirectly.

Q. What should I do if I have concerns about methemoglobinemia?
A. See your health care provider immediately to discuss your concerns.  Treatment is available.

Q. How is methemoglobinemia diagnosed?
A. A simple and quick finger-prick blood test can be used to diagnose methemoglobinemia. 

Q. What is the treatment for nitrate exposure?
A. Changing your drinking water is usually the only treatment necessary.  The new water should have less than 10 milligrams of nitrate-nitrogen per liter.  Severely affected infants may need additional treatment.  Consult with your health care provider.

Q. How do I remove nitrate from my drinking water?
A. Please DO NOT heat or boil your water to remove nitrate.  Because some of the water will evaporate during the boiling process, the nitrate levels of water can actually increase in concentration if the water is boiled.  Mechanical filters or chemical disinfection, such as chlorination, DO NOT remove nitrate from water. 
Nitrate may be successfully removed from water using treatment processes such as ion exchange, distillation, and reverse osmosis. Contact your local health department for recommended procedures. For more information on treatment systems, contact NSF International, an organization for public health and safety through standards development, product certification, education, and risk management. 

For more information:

NSF International
789 N. Dixboro Road
P.O. Box 130140
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48113-0140
Phone number:  (800) 673-6275
Fax: 734-769-0109
Email: info@nsf.org
Web site: http://www.nsf.org