A small community contacted Florida Gateway College about nitrates in the groundwater that supplied its municipal wells.College personnel explained that nitrates and nitrites occur naturally in food, plants, water and soil. They are formed when microorganisms in the environment break down organic materials such as sewage, animal manure and plants. Nitrates are also found in chemical fertilizers, and nitrites are used as curing agents for meats. Nitrates are more common in water than nitrites.Through the cycleNitrogen is essential for life because it is a component of proteins. It exists in the environment in many forms, and it changes forms as
