Abstract |
The report is a compilation of all nitrate criteria limitations within state-adopted water quality standards. Nitrate standards are set to control the amount of nitrates discharges into the water. Nitrates and phosphates in wastes contribute to excess amounts of nutrients in our water. Artificially nutrient-enriched waters are over fertilized, altering aquatic systems. Quite often algae blooms occur in lakes and slow-moving streams. Certain algae can make public water supplies and fish flesh unpalatable. Aquatic growths stimulated by nutrients can trap silt and organic matter, providing ideal breeding spots for bacteria, and can choke up streams. Such growths can reduce the oxygen concentrations in the water, killing fish and greatly reducing the stream's ability to purify itself. Organic enrichment is a primary factor in overaging or eutrophication, the process causing the 'death' of Lake Erie. |