What causes high nitrate levels in water?

What causes high nitrate levels in water?

Nitrate can occur naturally in surface and groundwater at a level that does not generally cause health problems. High levels of nitrate in well water often result from improper well construction, well location, overuse of chemical fertilizers, or improper disposal of human and animal waste.

What are the effects of nitrates in water?

We are still learning about the health effects of nitrate. Nitrate can turn hemoglobin (the protein in blood that carries oxygen) into methemoglobin . High levels can turn skin to a bluish or gray color and cause more serious health effects like weakness, excess heart rate, fatigue, and dizziness.

What do high levels of nitrates and phosphate cause in ponds or lake waters?

Too much nitrogen and phosphorus in the water causes algae to grow faster than ecosystems can handle. Significant increases in algae harm water quality, food resources and habitats, and decrease the oxygen that fish and other aquatic life need to survive.

What happens when too many nitrates and phosphates get in the water?

Eutrophication – “The process by which a body of water acquires a high concentration of nutrients, especially phosphates and nitrates. As the algae die and decompose, high levels of organic matter and the decomposing organisms deplete the water of available oxygen, causing the death of other organisms, such as fish.

How is nitrate formed in water?

Nitrate can get into water directly as the result of runoff of fertilizers containing nitrate. Nitrate can also be formed in water bodies through the oxidation of other forms of nitrogen, including nitrite, ammonia, and organic nitrogen compounds such as amino acids.

What produces nitrate?

Nitrates are produced by a number of species of nitrifying bacteria in the natural environment using ammonia or urea as a source of nitrogen. Nitrate compounds for gunpowder were historically produced, in the absence of mineral nitrate sources, by means of various fermentation processes using urine and dung.

What effect can nitrates have on a lake or river?

Nitrates are essential plant nutrients, but in excess amounts they can cause significant water quality problems. Together with phosphorus, nitrates in excess amounts can accelerate eutrophication, causing dramatic increases in aquatic plant growth and changes in the types of plants and animals that live in the stream.

How do nitrates and phosphates end up in water?

Common sources of excess nitrate reaching lakes and streams include septic systems, animal feed lots, agricultural fertilizers, manure, industrial waste waters, sanitary landfills, and garbage dumps. bottom-feeding rough fish such as carp can stir up bottom sediments, releasing phosphorus back into the water.

What do nitrates do?

Nitrates dilate (widen) the blood vessels (arteries and veins in the body), improve blood flow, and allow more oxygen-rich blood to reach the heart muscle.

Where is nitrate produced?

How is nitrite formed from nitrate?

It can be formed by the microbial reduction of nitrate and in vivo by reduction from ingested nitrate. An excess of free ammonia entering the distribution system can lead to nitrification and the potential increase of nitrate and nitrite in drinking-water.

What is the maximum nitrate level in water?

The EPA Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for public water supplies is measured and reported as nitrate-nitrogen, (NO 3 -N), which is the amount of nitrogen in the nitrate form. The MCL for nitrate-nitrogen in a public water supply is 10 milligrams per liter (mg/L) which also can be expressed as 10 parts per million (ppm).

How are nitrates getting into our drinking water?

We ingest nitrates through the vegetables we eat, particularly leafy greens, and potentially through the water we drink. Nitrates in our groundwater going undetected is more of a concern with private drinking water wells because they are often not tested regularly, whereas public water supplies are on a strict testing schedule.

What to do if your well water is high in nitrates?

If your local tap or well water is high in nitrate, using deionized water (DI) or reverse osmosis water (RO) can help keep nitrate levels low when doing a water change. However, since these are devoid of minerals, the hardness, alkalinity and pH of the water can become too low and mineral supplements may need to be added.

Which is the best method to test for nitrates in water?

(See Standard Methods section 4500-NH3 and 4500-NO2 for appropriate nitrite methods; APHA, 1992) Water samples to be tested for nitrate should be collected in glass or polyethylene containers that have been prepared by using Method B in the introduction.