RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., May 28, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Private well
water in the United States should be tested annually -- and in some cases more
often than that -- the American Academy of Pediatrics advises.
Researchers at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, part of
the National Institutes of Health, took a lead role in working with the AAP to
develop the recommendations on what parents should do if their children drink
well water.
The policy statement and technical report, scheduled to be published in the June
issue of Pediatrics, call for annual well testing -- especially for nitrate and
microorganisms such as coliform bacteria -- which can indicate sewage has
contaminated the well.
The recommendations point out circumstances when additional testing should
occur, including testing when there is a new infant in the house or if the well
is subjected to structural damage.
"Children are especially vulnerable to waterborne illnesses that may come from
contaminated wells," lead author Dr. Walter J. Rogan said in a statement.
Nitrate, which comes from sewage or fertilizer, is the most common contaminant
in wells and can be a problem for infants under 3 months who can not metabolize
nitrate, Rogan said.
Water with a nitrate concentration of more than 1 milligram per liter should not
be used to prepare infant formula or given to a child younger than age 1, the
recommendations said.
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