Implications of Nitrate Concentration in Water Samples Collected from Private Residence Wells Throughout Dane County — Presentation Detail — Celebration of Scholars

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Additional Information

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Jun Wang
Kim Instenes
John Kirk
Nora Nickels
Andrew Pustina
James Ripley

Implications of Nitrate Concentration in Water Samples Collected from Private Residence Wells Throughout Dane County

Name: Carly Barker
Major: Environmental Science
Hometown: Marshfield, WI
Faculty Sponsor: Tracy Gartner
Other Sponsors:
Type of research: Independent research
Funding: Department of Natural Resources Grant

Abstract

This study highlights research conducted for the Dane County Private Well Nitrate Pilot Project, which was conducted at Public Health Madison Dane County (PHMDC) in the summer of 2013 through the Community Health Internship Placement. The project was funded by a grant received by PHMDC from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and aimed to identify the concentration of nitrate in water samples collected from private residence wells throughout Dane County in order to increase awareness of potential adverse health effects related to water quality. Nitrate is the most common contaminant in private wells in Dane County and prior to the study it was estimated that about 25% of private wells had levels of nitrate exceeding state and federal recommendations set by the DNR and the Environmental Protection Agency. While it is recommended that drinking water be tested for numerous contaminants annually, it has been found that homeowners with private wells rarely meet these recommendations and may thus be consuming drinking water that can have adverse affects on health. Consumption of elevated levels of nitrate is particularly dangerous for infants, women who are of childbearing age, elderly, and those who are immunocompromised. Potential health effects of regularly consuming water with excess nitrate levels include the development of certain types of cancer and "blue baby syndrome", in which oxygen is not carried throughout the body efficiently, leading to a depletion of oxygen in vital tissues such as the brain.

Poster file