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Elevated nitrate in groundwater is a concern for drinking water use because nitrate can interfere with blood-oxygen levels in infants and cause methemoglobinemia or blue-baby syndrome. [28] Where groundwater recharges stream flow, nitrate-enriched groundwater can contribute to eutrophication , a process that leads to high algal population and ...
Nitrate concentrations in 1,000 Norwegian lakes had doubled in less than a decade. Rivers in the northeastern United States and the majority of Europe have increased ten to fifteen fold over the last century. Reactive nitrogen can contaminate drinking water through runoff into streams, lakes, rivers, and groundwater.
In 2011 EPA reiterated the need for states to fully develop their nutrient standards, noting that drinking water violations for nitrates had doubled in eight years, that half of all streams nationwide had medium to high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus, and harmful algal blooms were increasing. The agency set out a framework for states to ...
Nitrates in drinking water can cause blue baby syndrome in infants and can react with chemicals used to treat water to create disinfection by-products in drinking water. [44] Getting direct contact with toxic algae through swimming or drinking can cause rashes, stomach or liver illness, and respiratory or neurological problems . [45]
A nitrate vulnerable zone is a conservation designation of the Environment Agency for areas of land that drain into nitrate polluted waters, or waterways that could become polluted by nitrates due to environmental and health threats.
Drinking water quality standards in the European Union stipulate less than 50 mg/L for nitrate in drinking water. [19] The linkages between nitrates in drinking water and blue baby syndrome have been disputed in other studies. [20] [21] The syndrome outbreaks might be due to other factors than elevated nitrate concentrations in drinking water. [22]
Nitrogen leaching occurs when nitrogen compounds, primarily nitrates, move through the soil profile and enter groundwater, potentially contaminating drinking water sources. [2] To mitigate these environmental impacts, various nitrogen management strategies are employed in agriculture.
The Environmental Protection Agency has set a maximum of 10 mg/L nitrate concentration in drinking and surface waters. [3] When nitrogen in the form of nitrate is in excess, it can lead to a dead zone. A dead zone is a body of water that has a depleted oxygen concentration that is low and can lead to the suffocation of animals. [4]