Nitrate vulnerable zone

One of the primary causes of nitrate pollution is the use of nitrogen fertilizers and application of manure to agricultural fields, which stimulates crop production but also contributes to nutrient pollution due to nitrate leaches from soil during heavy precipitation events.

[2] With continued use of contaminated water, infants can develop Blue Baby Syndrome, which can be fatal.

Nitrate vulnerable zones were introduced by the United Kingdom government in response to the European Union mandate that all countries in the EU must reduce the nitrate in drinking water to a maximum of 50 NO3− mg/L to protect public health and environmental health.

[4] Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, and Denmark have established their entire nations as nitrate vulnerable zones.

These countries take a broader approach to designating nation-wide nitrate vulnerable zones because of the quality of the groundwater[5] as well as marine eutrophication.