Nitrate-nitrogen fertilizers are used worldwide as well as in the Midwestern United States in agricultural operations to increase plant yields.   Almost a third of all nitrates used in fertilizers are lost from the soil and incorporated into nearby aquatic systems.  Nitrates enter water sources and contaminate drinking water.  Nitrates are considered dangerous in drinking water if the concentration is greater than ten parts per million. Long term studies have shown a correlation between high nitrate exposure and colorectal cancer and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.  Systematic soil samples were taken from the watershed of Spring Lake in areas affected by soil erosion to determine the nitrate-nitrogen content of the soil.  The results of this research indicated that the soil of the watershed has high concentrations of nitrate-nitrogen, and may decrease the potential of Spring Lake as a drinking water source.

Distribution of soil nitrate-nitrogen in the Spring Lake watershed region of western Illinois and the potential nitrate contribution to water quality of Spring Lake as a drinking water source

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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