Nitrate Contamination of Water Spreads in California

A new study shows that the problem of nitrate contamination of California's groundwater is expanded and set to continue doing so for many years. The problem is most concentrated, apparently, in the Salinas Valley and Central Valley, which sit at the center of the state's farming industry. According to Thomas Harter, of UC Davis, "Even if we were to eliminate all the sources of nitrate that we have today, we would still be dealing with this issue." Though nitrates are naturally-occurring in some foods, at issue seems to be the heavy concentrations of these chemical compounds, which are linked to 'blue-baby syndrome' and can reportedly kill young children. Read the abc news story for more of this horror story.