NECi Test Marketing Consumer Nitrate Test Kit

The Nitrate Elimination Co., Inc. (NECi) -- Lake Linden MI 49945

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For Immediate Release:

NECi Announces the New Consumer Nitrate Test Kit (C-NTK)

November 1, 1999

Contact: Ellen R. Campbell, VP, 906-296-1000, ellenr@nitrate.com

The Nitrate Elimination Co., Inc. (NECi)
334 Hecla Street, Lake Linden, MI 49945
Toll Free: 1-888-NITRATE (1-888-648-7283)
On the Internet: www.nitrate.com

NECi, The Nitrate Elimination Co., Inc., announces the release of our newest product: the Consumer Nitrate Test Kit (C-NTK) for Home and Farm Nitrate Testing. Based on a method proven over the past 5 years in biomedical research, NECi has developed a simple nitrate test that anyone can do at home. Each kit contains everything needed to test one sample for nitrate. Using the Consumer Nitrate Test Kit is as simple as adding a drop of your water to be tested to the test vial with pre-measured reagents, then shaking and waiting for the pink color to appear.

Consumers can measure nitrate with confidence in their well water, drinking water, or water from lakes and streams, fish tanks, even septic effluent. A chart is provided to assist the user to interpret the meaning of the results. A nitrate standard is also included to so that the consumer can be sure the nitrate test is working properly. If the consumer finds a high level of nitrate in their drinking water or well water, they are advised to have their drinking water tested at a certified lab, such as the county Public Health Laboratory.

NECi Nitrate Test Kits (NTK) are based on an enzyme called Nitrate Reductase, which we purify in our laboratory from young corn plants. Unlike other kits on the market, no toxic chemicals such as cadmium or zinc are used. These kits will work for any type of water - even highly colored water, or water containing mud or other particles. Development of this simplified nitrate test method was funded by the Small Business Innovation Research program of the US Department of Agriculture. Enzyme-based nitrate testing is easy, accurate and safe.

Nitrate is a water quality problem in many part of the US, especially in rural areas. Both environmental and human health are threatened by too much nitrate. The US Environmental Protection Agency and many state and international regulations have set the limit for clean, safe water at 10 parts per million nitrate-N (equivalent to 45 parts per million nitrate as reported in California and some other states). Consuming water with nitrate at this level or higher is considered to be harmful, especially for the very young and very old. Excess nitrate can affect the ability of the blood to carry oxygen, leading to a condition known as methemoglobinemia or "blue baby syndrome". High levels of nitrate in drinking water have been linked to stomach cancer, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and miscarriages.

Consumption of excess nitrate is also harmful for young animals. Very high levels are sometimes found in barnyard wells, and this may cause low birth weight, slower growth, and other health problems in livestock. In the environment, nitrate levels that are higher than naturally-occurring levels can lead to algae blooms and fish kills in lakes, rivers, and streams. Many people are part of Citizen Monitoring groups, involved in testing the quality of local bodies of water. NECi Nitrate Test Kits can be useful tools for these groups. Visit the NECi Web: nitrate.com for more information.

For information - Email to: ellenr@nitrate.com or Call Toll Free 1-888-NITRATE (1-888-648-7283)