Water Nitrate

AUS-ASC-FOR-WNI General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

21.6 mg/L
Direction: Lower is desirable ↓
Form: MaximumOnly

Scoring Curve

This curve shows how a field measurement for this indicator would score across all available benchmark forms in this context.

Evidence & Context

Chemical. Trigger values for freshwater. (µg/L) Level of protection (% species) 99% 95% 90% 80%... Recalculated values. Nitrate. 21,600. 31,900. 38,500. 52,000.

Metric Definition:

Recalculated ANZECC (2000) moderate-reliability toxicant trigger value ( as ) for 99% species protection in freshwaters.

Benchmark Definition:

Corrected toxicant trigger value for dissolved nitrate at 99% species protection in freshwaters.

Justification:

This corrected toxicant trigger value is derived from the updated national database of chronic laboratory studies. The 99% protection level represents the strict physiological safety limit for high-conservation-value subalpine ecosystems.

Sources (1)

Preview of Memorandum - Nitrate guideline values in ANZECC 2000, accessed August 8, 2025
Memorandum - Nitrate guideline values in ANZECC 2000, accessed August 8, 2025 Journal

Nitrate guidelines values in ANZECC 2000

View Source

Supporting Sources (17)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of Australia and New Zealand Draft Guidelines for Fresh - Queensland Farmers' Federation
Australia and New Zealand Draft Guidelines for Fresh - Queensland Farmers' Federation
Contextual Support Journal

Australia and New Zealand Draft Guidelines for Fresh - Queensland Farmers' Federation

View Source
Preview of Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Water Quality (2000)
Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Water Quality (2000)
Contextual Support Journal

Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Water Quality (2000)

View Source
Preview of Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Water Quality (2000), accessed May 11, 2025,
Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Water Quality (2000), accessed May 11, 2025,
Direct Evidence Journal

Northern Territory Government (2020) Darwin Harbour Region Water Quality Objectives, Report Card Section 3.0.

View Source
Preview of Data analysis: 2018-2019 catchment nutrient reports
Data analysis: 2018-2019 catchment nutrient reports
Methodology Source Government

Data analysis: 2018-2019 catchment nutrient reports

View Source
Preview of Desktop review – Impact of bushfires on water quality, accessed August 10, 2025,
Desktop review – Impact of bushfires on water quality, accessed August 10, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

Australia's Sustainable Forest Management Framework of Criteria and Indicators 2008 - DAFF

View Source
Preview of Ecosystem Health - Top of the South Scorecards Freshwater & Terrestrial Ecosystems - The Nature Conservancy, accessed on May 25, 2025,
Ecosystem Health - Top of the South Scorecards Freshwater & Terrestrial Ecosystems - The Nature Conservancy, accessed on May 25, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

Ecosystem Health - Top of the South Scorecards Freshwater & Terrestrial Ecosystems - The Nature Conservancy, accessed March 28, 2026,

View Source
Preview of Establishment of reference or baseline conditions of chemical indicators in New Zealand streams and rivers relative to present conditions - CSIRO Publishing
Establishment of reference or baseline conditions of chemical indicators in New Zealand streams and rivers relative to present conditions - CSIRO Publishing
Contextual Support Journal

Establishment of reference or baseline conditions of chemical indicators in New Zealand streams and rivers relative to present conditions - CSIRO Publishing

View Source
Preview of Limitation and retention of nutrients in alpine streams of Switzerland - ResearchGate
Limitation and retention of nutrients in alpine streams of Switzerland - ResearchGate
Contextual Support

Limitation and retention of nutrients in alpine streams of Switzerland - ResearchGate

View Source
Preview of Long-term changes in water quality and solute exports in headwater streams of intensively managed radiata pine and natural eucalypt forest catchments in south-eastern Australia
Long-term changes in water quality and solute exports in headwater streams of intensively managed radiata pine and natural eucalypt forest catchments in south-eastern Australia
Irrelevant

Long-term changes in water quality and solute exports in headwater streams of intensively managed radiata pine and natural eucalypt forest catchments in south-eastern Australia

View Source
Preview of Natural water systems | Australia state of the environment 2021, accessed July 31, 2025,
Natural water systems | Australia state of the environment 2021, accessed July 31, 2025,
Direct Evidence Journal

Stream nitrate in planted forests

View Source
Preview of Nitrogen dynamics in alpine soils of south ... - CSIRO Publishing, accessed August 28, 2025,
Nitrogen dynamics in alpine soils of south ... - CSIRO Publishing, accessed August 28, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

Nitrogen dynamics in alpine soils of south-eastern Australia - CSIRO Publishing

View Source
Preview of Persistent Nitrate in Alpine Waters with Changing Atmospheric Deposition and Warming Trends | Environmental Science & Technology - ACS Publications
Persistent Nitrate in Alpine Waters with Changing Atmospheric Deposition and Warming Trends | Environmental Science & Technology - ACS Publications
Contextual Support Journal

Persistent Nitrate in Alpine Waters with Changing Atmospheric Deposition and Warming Trends | Environmental Science & Technology - ACS Publications

View Source
Preview of Review of the current state of knowledge for the monitoring of forestry impacts on waterway health in NSW coastal forests - Natural Resources Commission, accessed August 9, 2025
Review of the current state of knowledge for the monitoring of forestry impacts on waterway health in NSW coastal forests - Natural Resources Commission, accessed August 9, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Review of the current state of knowledge for the monitoring of ..., accessed July 31, 2025,

View Source
Preview of Streamside Forest Buffer Width Needed to Protect Stream Water Quality, Habitat, and Organisms
Streamside Forest Buffer Width Needed to Protect Stream Water Quality, Habitat, and Organisms
Contextual Support Journal

Streamside Forest Buffer Width Needed to Protect Stream Water Quality, Habitat, and Organisms

View Source
Preview of The legacy of a severe wildfire on stream nitrogen and carbon in headwater catchments - USDA Forest Service
The legacy of a severe wildfire on stream nitrogen and carbon in headwater catchments - USDA Forest Service
Contextual Support

The legacy of a severe wildfire on stream nitrogen and carbon in headwater catchments - USDA Forest Service

View Source
Preview of Toxicant default guideline values technical briefs - Water Quality Australia, accessed July 26, 2025,
Toxicant default guideline values technical briefs - Water Quality Australia, accessed July 26, 2025,
Contextual Support Government

Toxicant default guideline values technical briefs

View Source
Preview of Water Quality of Rivers in the Inglis – Flowerdale Catchment - Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania
Water Quality of Rivers in the Inglis – Flowerdale Catchment - Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania
Contextual Support Journal

Derwent Estuary Program (2011). Derwent Catchment Review Part 1.

View Source

Context

  • Region Australia
  • Biome Alpine and Subalpine Complex
  • Land Use Production Forestry
  • Assessment Conservation Target
  • Evidence Type RegulatoryTrigger

Lifecycle

  • Status Active
  • Version 1
  • Effective From 16 Jun 2026

Notes

Mathematically converted from microgram per litre () to the canonical milligram per litre () by dividing by 1000.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-ASC-FOR-WNI family.

0.05 mg/L Moderate
Production Forestry · Conservation Target
MaximumOnly Active v2
0.07 mg/L High
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MaximumOnly Active v1
0.64 mg/L High
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MaximumOnly Active v1
1.1 mg/L High
Production Forestry · Conservation Target
MaximumOnly Active v1
31.9 mg/L Moderate
Production Forestry · Conservation Target
MaximumOnly Active v1
0.2 mg/L Moderate
Production Forestry · Conservation Target
MaximumOnly Active v1
— mg/L Moderate
Production Forestry · Conservation Target
OptimalRange Rejected v1
0.05 mg/L Moderate
Production Forestry · Conservation Target
MaximumOnly Superseded v1