Nitrates (water)
Agricultural contaminant
Evidence level : Emerging / debated Drinking waterMechanism : Environmental / physical burden
🟠 Some signals exist (animal studies, small human studies) but results are conflicting and the scientific community is still debating them.
- Where it's found
- Tap water in areas of intensive livestock farming or large-scale crops, particularly from surface-water intakes.
- Suspected mechanism
- Nitrates promote methemoglobinemia, a well-established effect especially in infants; a link with fertility remains emerging.
- Suggested alternative
- Reverse-osmosis filtration effectively removes nitrates (an activated-carbon filter does not).
- Source
- ANSES; nitrate regulations for drinking water.
Map your everyday exposures in about ten minutes.
Take the questionnaireRelated factors
Including a factor does not mean it causes infertility: it is simply worth monitoring, depending on its level of evidence.
Content last updated: September 14, 2026