Biotechnology Laboratory

Center for Innovation, Inc.

Nitrate

Nitrate is a very common groundwater contaminant that can result from a variety of activities including agricultural practices, food processing and mining. We have recently completed a very successful field demonstration for the US Department of Agriculture at a site in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Groundwater at the site had been contaminated by over application of nitrate based fertilizer and a groundwater plume contaminated a number of domestic wells resulting in an incident of “blue baby” syndrome due to ingestion of excessive levels of nitrate in drinking water.

 

Initial nitrate levels at the site exceeded 250 parts per million (ppm). As shown in the graphs below these concentration were reduced to below the EPA drinking water standard of 10ppm. A portion of the plume was remediated by drawing contaminated water through a biofilm treatment zone constructed in the subsurface through a series of vertical injection wells.