288 Ecological Sustainability
released into the atmosphere. Healthy streams can remove up to 43% of
nitrogen. However, the typical US stream now denitries only 16% of nitro-
gen (Mulholland et al. 2008).
5.3.2.2 Nitrates and Human Health
Nitrogen pollution in groundwater can cause nitrogen poisoning in humans,
especially in infants under 6 months of age. It reduces blood’s capacity to
carry oxygen. According to the Environmental Science Division of the
Department of Energy:
“Nitrates themselves are relatively nontoxic. However, when swallowed,
they are converted to nitrites that can react with hemoglobin in the blood,
oxidizing its divalent iron to the trivalent form and creating methemo-
globin. This methemoglobin cannot ...