Agricultural Sources of Nitrate

Nitrogen fertilizers and Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) like dairy farms and stockyards are common agricultural sources of excess nitrate in water.

Bacteria in the soil create nitrate from animal waste and chemically organic fertilizers through processes called mineralization and nitrification.

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This animated illustration demonstrates the process that bacteria undergoes.
This animated illustration demonstrates the process that bacteria undergoes as it leaches into the soil from animal waste then undergoes mineralization then nitrification.

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