Nitrate in Drinking Water

Glossary

Cyanosis - a blue color of the skin caused by the lack of oxygen.

Demineralization - the removal of all minerals from water.

Hemoglobin - the chemical in the blood that carries oxygen from the lungs to the different parts of the body.

Inorganic nitrogen - nitrogen in the form of ammonia and nitrate; available commercially as ammonia gas, urea and ammonium-nitrate fertilizer.

Leaching - the movement of materials (such as nitrate) down through the soil with water.

Methemoglobin - formed by nitrate combined with hemoglobin in the blood; does not carry oxygen to body cells.

Methemoglobinemia - the presence of methemoglobin in the blood; can be caused by nitrate poisoning; commonly called blue-baby disease.

Monogastrics - animals with only one stomach, such as pigs, horses and chickens.

Nitrification - the conversion of ammonia to nitrate by bacteria in the sod.

Organic nitrogen - the nitrogen obtained from plant and animal material, such as manure or crop residue.

Resin - a man-made, plastic material used in ion-exchange systems like water softeners and nitrate filters.

Ruminants - animals that have a rumen in their digestive system; the bacteria in a rumen convert nitrate to nitrite.

Water quality standard - the level of pollutants considered by law to be safe.