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Article: Overfertilization
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- Earth Explorer
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Earth Explorer
02-01-1995
Overfertilization: Too Much of a Good Thing
In the 1980s, some Iowa residents became worried about the quality of their ground water. Many of them had to drill deeper wells to avoid contamination. Geologists set out to find where the contamination was coming from--and to find ways to reduce it.
The scientists tested the water in 125 wells in northeastern Iowa, prime corn-growing country. They also measured the amount of nitrogen fertilizer used by the farmers in the region. Nitrates are nitrogen-containing salts in fertilizers.
Corn requires a lot of fertilizer, but what's good for corn is not necessarily good for people. Babies, in particular, can become ...