Abstract
IT has been suggested1,2 that a number of environmental problems may be associated with high levels of nitrates and other nitrogenous compounds in waters. These problems relate to deleterious effects on human and animal health, crop quality and yields, and eutrophication of surface waters. Nitrate in the environment may be derived from nitrogenous fertilizers, organic wastes, soil organic matter, precipitation, and biologically fixed nitrogen. According to Feth3, however, geological sources of nitrate have been largely ignored, and he has suggested that high levels of nitrate in water may be associated with limestones. We therefore measured the nitrate content of Wisconsin limestones.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
References
Fasset, D. W., in Toxicants Occurring Naturally in Foods, 250 (NAS, NRC Publ. 1354, Washington, DC, 1966).
Keeney, D. R., and Gardner, W. R., in Global Effects of Environmental Pollution (edit. by Singer, S. F.), 192 (Riedel, Dordrecht, 1970).
Feth, J. S., J. Water Res. Research, 2, 41 (1966).
Bremner, J. M., Bundy, L. G., and Agarwal, A. S., Analyt. Lett., 1, 837 (1968).
Keeney, D. R., and Bremner, J. M., Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. Proc., 30, 583 (1966).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
CHALK, P., KEENEY, D. Nitrate and Ammonium Contents of Wisconsin Limestones. Nature 229, 42 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1038/229042a0
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/229042a0
This article is cited by
-
Historical trend of nitrogen and phosphorus loads from the upper Yangtze River basin and their responses to the Three Gorges Dam
Environmental Science and Pollution Research (2013)
-
The importance of in-stream uptake for regulating stream concentrations and outputs of N and P from a forested watershed: evidence from long-term chemistry records for Walker Branch Watershed
Biogeochemistry (2004)
-
Spatial distribution and formation of nitrate radical NO 3 2− in Antarctic calcitic evaporates
Applied Magnetic Resonance (2004)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.