Tag: Nitrates

Drinking water source and exposure to regulated water contaminants in the California Teachers Study cohort

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Author: Spaur, Maya; Medgyesi, Danielle N.; Bangia, Komal; Madrigal, Jessica M.; Hurwitz, Lauren M.; Beane Freeman, Laura E.; Fisher, Jared A.; Spielfogel, Emma S.; Lacey, James V.; Sanchez, Tiffany; Jones, Rena R.; Ward, Mary H. Description: BACKGROUND: Pollutants including metals/metalloids, nitrate, disinfection byproducts, and volatile organic compounds contaminate federally regulated community water systems (CWS) and unregulated domestic wells across the United States. Exposures and associated health effects, particularly at levels below regulatory limits, are understudied. OBJECTIVE: We described drinking water sources and exposures for the California Teachers Study (CTS), a…

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‘Cropaganda’: Mythology of Corn Belt agriculture

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Author: Hall, Anaya L. Description: Even as scholars have increasingly recognized the role of industrial agricultural practices in contributing to non-point source pollution, drinking water in the Corn Belt remains perilously contaminated with excess nitrates, which pose a significant risk to human health and the environment. A recent lawsuit filed by the city of Des Moines, Iowa against three upstream counties over chronic nitrate pollution sparked heated debate around the roles and responsibilities of agricultural production. Drawing on Barthes’ theory of mythology, this paper explores how three core myths influence…

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Nitrate-nitrogen patterns in the Raccoon River Basin related to agricultural practices

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Author: Hatfield, J. L.; McMullen, L. D.; Jones, C. S. Description: Nitrate-N concentrations in the Raccoon River have increased beginning in the early 1970s. Since this river is the predominant water supply for the City of Des Moines in Iowa, there is concern about the potential long-term impacts of these trends. Improvements in water quality from agricultural watersheds are critical to protect the water supply, and understanding the factors affecting water quality will lead to potential changes in agricultural management to improve water quality. The historical database of nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N)…

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Disparities in potential nitrate exposures within Iowa public water systems

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Author: Mantey, Emmanuel Padmore; Liu, Lu; Rehmann, Chris R. Description: Nitrates (measured as nitrate-nitrogen) in drinking water exceeding the maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 10 mg L-1 can cause significant health risks, such as methemoglobinemia. Even long-term exposure to concentrations below the MCL can also increase the risks of cancer. Iowa, a major agricultural producer, has grappled with decades-long nitrate pollution in its water systems due to intensive farming practices and animal feeding operations. To help in developing interventions and policies to protect public health, this study delves into long-term…

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Iowa stream sites and watersheds evaluated in this study

Iowa stream nitrate and the Gulf of Mexico

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Author: Jones, Christopher S.; Nielsen, Jacob K.; Schilling, Keith E.; Weber, Larry J. Description: The main objective of this work was to quantify and update the U.S. Midwest agricultural state of Iowa’s contribution of nitrate-nitrogen to the Mississippi River stream network against the backdrop of the ongoing problem of Gulf of Mexico hypoxia. To achieve this objective, we used stream nitrate and discharge data collected from 1999 until 2016 at 23 Iowa stream sites near watershed outlets, along with publicly-available data for sites downstream of Iowa on the Missouri and…

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Nitrate in aquifers beneath agricultural systems

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Author: Burkart, M.R.; Stoner, J.D. Description: Research from several regions of the world provides spatially anecdotal evidence to hypothesize which hydrologic and agricultural factors contribute to groundwater vulnerability to nitrate contamination. Analysis of nationally consistent measurements from the U.S. Geological Survey’s NAWQA program confirms these hypotheses for a substantial range of agricultural systems. Shallow unconfined aquifers are most susceptible to nitrate contamination associated with agricultural systems. Alluvial and other unconsolidated aquifers are the most vulnerable and also shallow carbonate aquifers that provide a substantial but smaller contamination risk. Where any…

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