Eight years ago, the data was sound but only suggestive, the evidence strong but circumstantial.
Eight years ago, the data was sound but only suggestive, the evidence strong but circumstantial.
Now, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Karrie Weber and colleagues have experimentally confirmed that nitrate, a compound common in fertilizers and animal waste, can help transport naturally occurring uranium from the underground to groundwater.
The new research backs a 2015 Weber-led study showing that aquifers contaminated with high levels of nitrate — including the High Plains Aquifer residing beneath Nebraska — contain uranium concentrations far exceeding a threshold set by the Environmental Protection Agency. Uranium concentrations above that EPA threshold have been shown to cause kidney damage in humans, especially when regularly consumed via drinking water.
“Most Nebraskans do rely on groundwater as drinking water,” said Weber, associate professor in the School of Biological Sciences and Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. “In Lincoln, we rely on it. A lot of rural communities, they’re relying on groundwater.
Read more at University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Photo Credit: Hans via Pixabay
