Nitrate salts analysis

Scope

Many companies use colour-changing solutions to check for the presence of nitrates in a salts deposit sample collected from a damp wall or structure. A photometric test for nitrates, by contrast, gives a scientific and accurate measurement of the actual nitrate content in mg/L in the sample, using laboratory apparatus designed and calibrated for quantitative, reproducible results.

Testing for nitrates

Nitrates are typically present in natural water and drinking water, and as a result are also found in waste water. Nitrates enter water supplies from the breakdown of natural vegetation, the use of chemical fertilisers in agriculture, and the oxidation of nitrogen-based compounds in sewage effluent and industrial waste. Nitrate analysis is an important control test for water supplies, and helps identify whether salts deposits collected on-site come from a drinking water supply leak, an escape of water, rainwater, or water ingress from a ground source.

Drinking water standards

The maximum contaminant level for nitrates in public drinking water supplies is documented in World Health Organisation guidelines as 50 mg/L, and UK drinking water is regulated by law to the same maximum level. An excessive amount of nitrate contamination above 50 mg/L NO3 (or 11.3 mg/L N) generally rules out a mains water supply leak as the sole cause of water ingress, but doesn’t rule it out as a contributing factor to structural water damage or damp materials.

Photometric analysis

The Palintest Nitratest provides a test method for nitrate nitrogen over the range 0–20 mg/L N. Chromotropic acid reagent analysis can extend the range to 0–30 mg/L N or 0–150 mg/L NO3, when required.

Reporting

Samples can be sent to our in-house laboratory along with a completed chain of custody form. See our salts analysis test page for the full range of parameters we test for, or get in touch to discuss a specific enquiry.