Nitrates

By: Leora, Celty, Riley, and Izzie


All About Nitrates
What are they? What are the
nitrate levels in a healthy
ecosystem?
Nitrates are chemicals made up of
nitrogen and oxygen that can
develop in water. A nitrate test can
measure the amount of these
chemicals using a scale in ppm
(parts per million) or MG/L
(milligrams/liter). The optimal
nitrate level for a healthy
ecosystem is between 0 and 5 ppm.
The nitrate levels that we gathered
proved to be healthy, considering
that they were all less than .2 ppm.
 Unusually high nitrate levels can
result from both runoff containing
fertilizer and animal and plant
waste. An example of the effects of
high nitrate levels is found in the city

Causes and
of Thane, India. Several bodies of
water in Thane have dangerously
high chemical content because of

Solutions sewage release and dumping.

What are the sources? What are
the solutions? What is a real-life
example?
These nitrates are harming both
animal and plant life. Some
solutions to this issue include not
using fertilizers that contain
phosphorus on lawns and gardens,
and controlling animal manure
coming from farms.
 Natural levels of nitrate dont typically
affect organisms, but several problems
can arise when these levels grow out of
control. For example, nitrates serve as a
fertilizer for algae and other marine

Biodiversity
plant life. During resulting algae blooms,
fish can develop conditions and
reproduce less because of the excess
dissolved oxygen. This can have
negative effects on entire species.
Nitrates can also directly cause kidney
damage and decreased fertility.
Nitrates are relatively harmless when it
comes to people until they are
converted into nitrites, which can lead to
an inability for the blood cells to carry
oxygen.
 Effects on Thousands of fish were found

Biodiversity in the
dead in the Bata River near the
Gohira dam. The local Pollution
Control Board concluded that this

Bata River happened because of high levels

of pollution resulting in the release
of ammonia and nitrates. If
biodiversity were to lessen on a
larger scale, clean water would
become more limited resulting in a
serious problem for humans.
 INKS MANSFIELD PACE
LAKE DAM BEND

1992 1991 1989

Research and
.4 MG/L .01 MG/L .04 MG/L

Historical Data
1993 1992 1990
.01 MG/L .56 MG/L .07 MG/L

2017 2017 2017

Less than Less than Less than
.2 ppm .2 ppm .2 ppm

According to the data, nitrates have

maintained a fairly stable, healthy level, but
if this level raises, serious repercussions
could occur.

LCRA Sites
How has the date for the LCR sites
changed over time? How do
nitrates affect other water level
tests?
One way that nitrates affect other
tests is that algae can feed on
nitrates, and the overproduction of
algae can cause major changes in
dissolved oxygen. All of the LCRA
nitrate data has been fairly stable
over the last few decades, with
occasional fluctuations. The Austin
levels typically stay between .01 and
.6 MG/L.
 Badgeri, Manoj, and Tnn. "Nearly 15 of 35 Lakes in Thane
City Found with Excessive Toxins, Marine Life at Stake:
TMC Study - Times of India." The Times of India. City, 11
Mar. 2017. Web. 24 Mar. 2017.
<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/thane/nearly-15-
of-35-lakes-in-thane-city-found-with-excessive-toxins-ma
rine-life-at-stake-tmc-study/articleshow/57597620.cms>.

"Nitrate in Well Water." Nitrate in Well Water - EH:

Minnesota Department of Health. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Mar.

Resources
2017.
<http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/wells/waterqualit
y/nitrate.html>.

"Nitrates and Their Effect on Water Quality." Wheatley

River Improvement Group. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2017.
<http://www.wheatleyriver.ca/media/nitrates-and-their-e
ffect-on-water-quality-a-quick-study/>.

http://waterquality.lcra.org/

Nitrate solutions
https://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/15-ways-reduce-nu
trients-lakes-and-streams